High-frequency, low-magnitude vibration does not prevent bone loss resulting from muscle disuse in mice following botulinum toxin injection.

Science.gov (United States)

Manske, Sarah L; Good, Craig A; Zernicke, Ronald F; Boyd, Steven K

2012-01-01

High-frequency, low-magnitude vibration enhances bone formation ostensibly by mimicking normal postural muscle activity. We tested this hypothesis by examining whether daily exposure to low-magnitude vibration (VIB) would maintain bone in a muscle disuse model with botulinum toxin type A (BTX). Female 16-18 wk old BALB/c mice (N = 36) were assigned to BTX-VIB, BTX-SHAM, VIB, or SHAM. BTX mice were injected with BTX (20 µL; 1 U/100 g body mass) into the left hindlimb posterior musculature. All mice were anaesthetized for 20 min/d, 5 d/wk, for 3 wk, and the left leg mounted to a holder. Through the holder, VIB mice received 45 Hz, ± 0.6 g sinusoidal acceleration without weight bearing. SHAM mice received no vibration. At baseline and 3 wk, muscle cross-sectional area (MCSA) and tibial bone properties (epiphysis, metaphysis and diaphysis) were assessed by in vivo micro-CT. Bone volume fraction in the metaphysis decreased 12 ± 9% and 7 ± 6% in BTX-VIB and BTX-SHAM, but increased in the VIB and SHAM. There were no differences in dynamic histomorphometry outcomes between BTX-VIB and BTX nor between VIB and SHAM. Thus, vibration did not prevent bone loss induced by a rapid decline in muscle activity nor produce an anabolic effect in normal mice. The daily loading duration was shorter than would be expected from postural muscle activity, and may have been insufficient to prevent bone loss. Based on the approach used in this study, vibration does not prevent bone loss in the absence of muscle activity induced by BTX.

High-frequency, low-magnitude vibration does not prevent bone loss resulting from muscle disuse in mice following botulinum toxin injection.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah L Manske

Full Text Available High-frequency, low-magnitude vibration enhances bone formation ostensibly by mimicking normal postural muscle activity. We tested this hypothesis by examining whether daily exposure to low-magnitude vibration (VIB would maintain bone in a muscle disuse model with botulinum toxin type A (BTX. Female 16-18 wk old BALB/c mice (N = 36 were assigned to BTX-VIB, BTX-SHAM, VIB, or SHAM. BTX mice were injected with BTX (20 µL; 1 U/100 g body mass into the left hindlimb posterior musculature. All mice were anaesthetized for 20 min/d, 5 d/wk, for 3 wk, and the left leg mounted to a holder. Through the holder, VIB mice received 45 Hz, ± 0.6 g sinusoidal acceleration without weight bearing. SHAM mice received no vibration. At baseline and 3 wk, muscle cross-sectional area (MCSA and tibial bone properties (epiphysis, metaphysis and diaphysis were assessed by in vivo micro-CT. Bone volume fraction in the metaphysis decreased 12 ± 9% and 7 ± 6% in BTX-VIB and BTX-SHAM, but increased in the VIB and SHAM. There were no differences in dynamic histomorphometry outcomes between BTX-VIB and BTX nor between VIB and SHAM. Thus, vibration did not prevent bone loss induced by a rapid decline in muscle activity nor produce an anabolic effect in normal mice. The daily loading duration was shorter than would be expected from postural muscle activity, and may have been insufficient to prevent bone loss. Based on the approach used in this study, vibration does not prevent bone loss in the absence of muscle activity induced by BTX.

The impact of low-magnitude high-frequency vibration on fracture healing is profoundly influenced by the oestrogen status in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Wehrle, Esther; Liedert, Astrid; Heilmann, Aline; Wehner, Tim; Bindl, Ronny; Fischer, Lena; Haffner-Luntzer, Melanie; Jakob, Franz; Schinke, Thorsten; Amling, Michael; Ignatius, Anita

2015-01-01

Fracture healing is impaired in aged and osteoporotic individuals. Because adequate mechanical stimuli are able to increase bone formation, one therapeutical approach to treat poorly healing fractures could be the application of whole-body vibration, including low-magnitude high-frequency vibration (LMHFV). We investigated the effects of LMHFV on fracture healing in aged osteoporotic mice. Female C57BL/6NCrl mice (n=96) were either ovariectomised (OVX) or sham operated (non-OVX) at age 41 weeks. When aged to 49 weeks, all mice received a femur osteotomy that was stabilised using an external fixator. The mice received whole-body vibrations (20 minutes/day) with 0.3 G: peak-to-peak acceleration and a frequency of 45 Hz. After 10 and 21 days, the osteotomised femurs and intact bones (contra-lateral femurs, lumbar spine) were evaluated using bending-testing, micro-computed tomography (μCT), histology and gene expression analyses. LMHFV disturbed fracture healing in aged non-OVX mice, with significantly reduced flexural rigidity (-81%) and bone formation (-80%) in the callus. Gene expression analyses demonstrated increased oestrogen receptor β (ERβ, encoded by Esr2) and Sost expression in the callus of the vibrated animals, but decreased β-catenin, suggesting that ERβ might mediate these negative effects through inhibition of osteoanabolic Wnt/β-catenin signalling. In contrast, in OVX mice, LMHFV significantly improved callus properties, with increased flexural rigidity (+1398%) and bone formation (+637%), which could be abolished by subcutaneous oestrogen application (0.025 mg oestrogen administered in a 90-day-release pellet). On a molecular level, we found an upregulation of ERα in the callus of the vibrated OVX mice, whereas ERβ was unaffected, indicating that ERα might mediate the osteoanabolic response. Our results indicate a major role for oestrogen in the mechanostimulation of fracture healing and imply that LMHFV might only be safe and effective in

The impact of low-magnitude high-frequency vibration on fracture healing is profoundly influenced by the oestrogen status in mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Esther Wehrle

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Fracture healing is impaired in aged and osteoporotic individuals. Because adequate mechanical stimuli are able to increase bone formation, one therapeutical approach to treat poorly healing fractures could be the application of whole-body vibration, including low-magnitude high-frequency vibration (LMHFV. We investigated the effects of LMHFV on fracture healing in aged osteoporotic mice. Female C57BL/6NCrl mice (n=96 were either ovariectomised (OVX or sham operated (non-OVX at age 41 weeks. When aged to 49 weeks, all mice received a femur osteotomy that was stabilised using an external fixator. The mice received whole-body vibrations (20 minutes/day with 0.3 g peak-to-peak acceleration and a frequency of 45 Hz. After 10 and 21 days, the osteotomised femurs and intact bones (contra-lateral femurs, lumbar spine were evaluated using bending-testing, micro-computed tomography (μCT, histology and gene expression analyses. LMHFV disturbed fracture healing in aged non-OVX mice, with significantly reduced flexural rigidity (−81% and bone formation (−80% in the callus. Gene expression analyses demonstrated increased oestrogen receptor β (ERβ, encoded by Esr2 and Sost expression in the callus of the vibrated animals, but decreased β-catenin, suggesting that ERβ might mediate these negative effects through inhibition of osteoanabolic Wnt/β-catenin signalling. In contrast, in OVX mice, LMHFV significantly improved callus properties, with increased flexural rigidity (+1398% and bone formation (+637%, which could be abolished by subcutaneous oestrogen application (0.025 mg oestrogen administered in a 90-day-release pellet. On a molecular level, we found an upregulation of ERα in the callus of the vibrated OVX mice, whereas ERβ was unaffected, indicating that ERα might mediate the osteoanabolic response. Our results indicate a major role for oestrogen in the mechanostimulation of fracture healing and imply that LMHFV might only be safe and

Characterization and comprehension of corona partial discharge in air under power frequency to very low frequency voltage

Science.gov (United States)

Yuanxiang, ZHOU; Zhongliu, ZHOU; Ling, ZHANG; Yunxiao, ZHANG; Yajun, MO; Jiantao, SUN

2018-05-01

For the partial discharge test of electrical equipment with large capacitance, the use of low-frequency voltage instead of power frequency voltage can effectively reduce the capacity requirements of test power supply. However, the validity of PD test under low frequency voltage needs to be evaluated. In order to investigate the influence of voltage frequency on corona discharge in the air, the discharge test of the tip-plate electrode under the frequency from 50 to 0.1 Hz is carried out based on the impulse current method. The results show that some of the main features of corona under low frequency do not change. The magnitude of discharge in a positive half cycle is obviously larger than that in a negative cycle. The magnitude of discharge and interval in positive cycle are random, while that in negative cycle are regular. With the decrease of frequency, the inception voltage increases. The variation trend of maximum and average magnitude and repetition rate of the discharge in positive and negative half cycle with the variation of voltage frequency and magnitude is demonstrated, with discussion and interpretation from the aspects of space charge transportation, effective discharge time and transition of discharge modes. There is an obvious difference in the phase resolved pattern of partial discharge and characteristic parameters of discharge patterns between power and low frequency. The experimental results can be the reference for mode identification of partial discharge under low frequency tests. The trend of the measured parameters with the variation of frequency provides more information about the insulation defect than traditional measurements under a single frequency (usually 50 Hz). Also it helps to understand the mechanism of corona discharge with an explanation of the characteristics under different frequencies.

High and low spatial frequencies in website evaluations.

Science.gov (United States)

Thielsch, Meinald T; Hirschfeld, Gerrit

2010-08-01

Which features of websites are important for users' perceptions regarding aesthetics or usability? This study investigates how evaluations of aesthetic appeal and usability depend on high vs. low spatial frequencies. High spatial frequencies convey information on fine details, whereas low spatial frequencies convey information about the global layout. Participants rated aesthetic appeal and usability of 50 website screenshots from different domains. Screenshots were presented unfiltered, low-pass filtered with blurred targets or high-pass filtered with high-pass filtered targets. The main result is that low spatial frequencies can be seen to have a unique contribution in perceived website aesthetics, thus confirming a central prediction from processing fluency theory. There was no connection between low spatial frequencies and usability evaluations, whereas strong correlations were found between ratings of high-pass filtered websites and those of unfiltered websites in aesthetics and usability. This study thus offers a new perspective on the biological basis of users' website perceptions. This research links ergonomics to neurocognitive models of visual processing. This paper investigates how high and low spatial frequencies, which are neurologically processed in different visual pathways, independently contribute to users' perceptions of websites. This is very relevant for theories of website perceptions and for practitioners of web design.

Mechanical characterisation of the TorPeDO: a low frequency gravitational force sensor

Science.gov (United States)

McManus, D. J.; Forsyth, P. W. F.; Yap, M. J.; Ward, R. L.; Shaddock, D. A.; McClelland, D. E.; Slagmolen, B. J. J.

2017-07-01

Newtonian noise is likely to be a future challenge at low frequencies for Advanced LIGO and other second generation gravitational wave detectors. We present the TorPeDO system: a dual torsion pendulum sensor designed to measure local gravitational forces to high precision. Gravitational forces induce a differential rotation between the two torsion beams, which is measured with an optical read-out. Both torsion pendulums have a common suspension point, tunable centre of mass, and resonant frequency. This produces a high level of mechanical common mode noise cancellation. We report on a controls prototype of the TorPeDO system, presenting the frequency response and tuning range of both pendulums. A noise budget and mechanical cross-coupling model for this system are also presented. We demonstrate frequency tuning of the two torsion pendulums to a difference of 4.3 μHz.

The differential effects of increasing frequency and magnitude of extreme events on coral populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Fabina, Nicholas S; Baskett, Marissa L; Gross, Kevin

2015-09-01

Extreme events, which have profound ecological consequences, are changing in both frequency and magnitude with climate change. Because extreme temperatures induce coral bleaching, we can explore the relative impacts of changes in frequency and magnitude of high temperature events on coral reefs. Here, we combined climate projections and a dynamic population model to determine how changing bleaching regimes influence coral persistence. We additionally explored how coral traits and competition with macroalgae mediate changes in bleaching regimes. Our results predict that severe bleaching events reduce coral persistence more than frequent bleaching. Corals with low adult mortality and high growth rates are successful when bleaching is mild, but bleaching resistance is necessary to persist when bleaching is severe, regardless of frequency. The existence of macroalgae-dominated stable states reduces coral persistence and changes the relative importance of coral traits. Building on previous studies, our results predict that management efforts may need to prioritize protection of "weaker" corals with high adult mortality when bleaching is mild, and protection of "stronger" corals with high bleaching resistance when bleaching is severe. In summary, future reef projections and conservation targets depend on both local bleaching regimes and biodiversity.

Carbon Nanofiber-Based, High-Frequency, High-Q, Miniaturized Mechanical Resonators

Science.gov (United States)

Kaul, Anupama B.; Epp, Larry W.; Bagge, Leif

2011-01-01

High Q resonators are a critical component of stable, low-noise communication systems, radar, and precise timing applications such as atomic clocks. In electronic resonators based on Si integrated circuits, resistive losses increase as a result of the continued reduction in device dimensions, which decreases their Q values. On the other hand, due to the mechanical construct of bulk acoustic wave (BAW) and surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators, such loss mechanisms are absent, enabling higher Q-values for both BAW and SAW resonators compared to their electronic counterparts. The other advantages of mechanical resonators are their inherently higher radiation tolerance, a factor that makes them attractive for NASA s extreme environment planetary missions, for example to the Jovian environments where the radiation doses are at hostile levels. Despite these advantages, both BAW and SAW resonators suffer from low resonant frequencies and they are also physically large, which precludes their integration into miniaturized electronic systems. Because there is a need to move the resonant frequency of oscillators to the order of gigahertz, new technologies and materials are being investigated that will make performance at those frequencies attainable. By moving to nanoscale structures, in this case vertically oriented, cantilevered carbon nanotubes (CNTs), that have larger aspect ratios (length/thickness) and extremely high elastic moduli, it is possible to overcome the two disadvantages of both bulk acoustic wave (BAW) and surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators. Nano-electro-mechanical systems (NEMS) that utilize high aspect ratio nanomaterials exhibiting high elastic moduli (e.g., carbon-based nanomaterials) benefit from high Qs, operate at high frequency, and have small force constants that translate to high responsivity that results in improved sensitivity, lower power consumption, and im - proved tunablity. NEMS resonators have recently been demonstrated using topdown

Moment magnitude, local magnitude and corner frequency of small earthquakes nucleating along a low angle normal fault in the Upper Tiber valley (Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Munafo, I.; Malagnini, L.; Chiaraluce, L.; Valoroso, L.

2015-12-01

The relation between moment magnitude (MW) and local magnitude (ML) is still a debated issue (Bath, 1966, 1981; Ristau et al., 2003, 2005). Theoretical considerations and empirical observations show that, in the magnitude range between 3 and 5, MW and ML scale 1∶1. Whilst for smaller magnitudes this 1∶1 scaling breaks down (Bethmann et al. 2011). For accomplishing this task we analyzed the source parameters of about 1500 (30.000 waveforms) well-located small earthquakes occurred in the Upper Tiber Valley (Northern Apennines) in the range of -1.5≤ML≤3.8. In between these earthquakes there are 300 events repeatedly rupturing the same fault patch generally twice within a short time interval (less than 24 hours; Chiaraluce et al., 2007). We use high-resolution short period and broadband recordings acquired between 2010 and 2014 by 50 permanent seismic stations deployed to monitor the activity of a regional low angle normal fault (named Alto Tiberina fault, ATF) in the framework of The Alto Tiberina Near Fault Observatory project (TABOO; Chiaraluce et al., 2014). For this study the direct determination of MW for small earthquakes is essential but unfortunately the computation of MW for small earthquakes (MW < 3) is not a routine procedure in seismology. We apply the contributions of source, site, and crustal attenuation computed for this area in order to obtain precise spectral corrections to be used in the calculation of small earthquakes spectral plateaus. The aim of this analysis is to achieve moment magnitudes of small events through a procedure that uses our previously calibrated crustal attenuation parameters (geometrical spreading g(r), quality factor Q(f), and the residual parameter k) to correct for path effects. We determine the MW-ML relationships in two selected fault zones (on-fault and fault-hanging-wall) of the ATF by an orthogonal regression analysis providing a semi-automatic and robust procedure for moment magnitude determination within a

Magnitudes and frequencies of earthquakes in relation to seismic risk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, R.D.

1989-01-01

Estimating the frequencies of occurrence of earthquakes of different magnitudes on a regional basis is an important task in estimating seismic risk at a construction site. Analysis of global earthquake data provides an insight into the magnitudes frequency relationship in a statistical manner. It turns out that, whereas a linear relationship between the logarithm of earthquake occurrence rates and the corresponding earthquake magnitudes fits well in the magnitude range between 5 and 7, a second degree polynomial in M, the earthquake magnitude provides a better description of the frequencies of earthquakes in a much wider range of magnitudes. It may be possible to adopt magnitude frequency relation for regions, for which adequate earthquake data are not available, to carry out seismic risk calculations. (author). 32 refs., 8 tabs., 7 figs

Suppression of the high-frequency disturbances in low-voltage circuits caused by disconnector operation in high-voltage open-air substations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Savic, M.S.

1986-07-01

The switching off and on of small capacitive currents charging busbar capacitances, connection conductors and open circuit breakers with disconnectors causes high-frequency transients in high-voltage networks. In low voltage circuits, these transient processes induce dangerous overvoltages for the electronic equipment in the substation. A modified construction of the disconnector with a damping resistor was investigated. Digital simulation of the transient process in a high-voltage network during the arcing period between the disconnector contacts with and without damping resistor were performed. A significant decrease of the arcing duration and the decrease of the electromagnetic field magnitude in the vicinity of the operating disconnector were noticed. In the low voltage circuit protected with the surge arrester, the overvoltage magnitude was not affected by the damping resistor due to the arrester protection effect.

Fin whale sound reception mechanisms: skull vibration enables low-frequency hearing.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ted W Cranford

Full Text Available Hearing mechanisms in baleen whales (Mysticeti are essentially unknown but their vocalization frequencies overlap with anthropogenic sound sources. Synthetic audiograms were generated for a fin whale by applying finite element modeling tools to X-ray computed tomography (CT scans. We CT scanned the head of a small fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus in a scanner designed for solid-fuel rocket motors. Our computer (finite element modeling toolkit allowed us to visualize what occurs when sounds interact with the anatomic geometry of the whale's head. Simulations reveal two mechanisms that excite both bony ear complexes, (1 the skull-vibration enabled bone conduction mechanism and (2 a pressure mechanism transmitted through soft tissues. Bone conduction is the predominant mechanism. The mass density of the bony ear complexes and their firmly embedded attachments to the skull are universal across the Mysticeti, suggesting that sound reception mechanisms are similar in all baleen whales. Interactions between incident sound waves and the skull cause deformations that induce motion in each bony ear complex, resulting in best hearing sensitivity for low-frequency sounds. This predominant low-frequency sensitivity has significant implications for assessing mysticete exposure levels to anthropogenic sounds. The din of man-made ocean noise has increased steadily over the past half century. Our results provide valuable data for U.S. regulatory agencies and concerned large-scale industrial users of the ocean environment. This study transforms our understanding of baleen whale hearing and provides a means to predict auditory sensitivity across a broad spectrum of sound frequencies.

Harvesting Low-Frequency (<5 Hz) Irregular Mechanical Energy: A Possible Killer Application of Triboelectric Nanogenerator.

Science.gov (United States)

Zi, Yunlong; Guo, Hengyu; Wen, Zhen; Yeh, Min-Hsin; Hu, Chenguo; Wang, Zhong Lin

2016-04-26

Electromagnetic generators (EMGs) and triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are the two most powerful approaches for harvesting ambient mechanical energy, but the effectiveness of each depends on the triggering frequency. Here, after systematically comparing the performances of EMGs and TENGs under low-frequency motion (frequency, while that of TENGs is approximately in proportion to the frequency. Therefore, the TENG has a much better performance than that of the EMG at low frequency (typically 0.1-3 Hz). Importantly, the extremely small output voltage of the EMG at low frequency makes it almost inapplicable to drive any electronic unit that requires a certain threshold voltage (∼0.2-4 V), so that most of the harvested energy is wasted. In contrast, a TENG has an output voltage that is usually high enough (>10-100 V) and independent of frequency so that most of the generated power can be effectively used to power the devices. Furthermore, a TENG also has advantages of light weight, low cost, and easy scale up through advanced structure designs. All these merits verify the possible killer application of a TENG for harvesting energy at low frequency from motions such as human motions for powering small electronics and possibly ocean waves for large-scale blue energy.

New approach of determinations of earthquake moment magnitude using near earthquake source duration and maximum displacement amplitude of high frequency energy radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gunawan, H.; Puspito, N. T.; Ibrahim, G.; Harjadi, P. J. P. [ITB, Faculty of Earth Sciences and Tecnology (Indonesia); BMKG (Indonesia)

2012-06-20

The new approach method to determine the magnitude by using amplitude displacement relationship (A), epicenter distance ({Delta}) and duration of high frequency radiation (t) has been investigated for Tasikmalaya earthquake, on September 2, 2009, and their aftershock. Moment magnitude scale commonly used seismic surface waves with the teleseismic range of the period is greater than 200 seconds or a moment magnitude of the P wave using teleseismic seismogram data and the range of 10-60 seconds. In this research techniques have been developed a new approach to determine the displacement amplitude and duration of high frequency radiation using near earthquake. Determination of the duration of high frequency using half of period of P waves on the seismograms displacement. This is due tothe very complex rupture process in the near earthquake. Seismic data of the P wave mixing with other wave (S wave) before the duration runs out, so it is difficult to separate or determined the final of P-wave. Application of the 68 earthquakes recorded by station of CISI, Garut West Java, the following relationship is obtained: Mw = 0.78 log (A) + 0.83 log {Delta}+ 0.69 log (t) + 6.46 with: A (m), d (km) and t (second). Moment magnitude of this new approach is quite reliable, time processing faster so useful for early warning.

New approach of determinations of earthquake moment magnitude using near earthquake source duration and maximum displacement amplitude of high frequency energy radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Gunawan, H.; Puspito, N. T.; Ibrahim, G.; Harjadi, P. J. P.

2012-06-01

The new approach method to determine the magnitude by using amplitude displacement relationship (A), epicenter distance (Δ) and duration of high frequency radiation (t) has been investigated for Tasikmalaya earthquake, on September 2, 2009, and their aftershock. Moment magnitude scale commonly used seismic surface waves with the teleseismic range of the period is greater than 200 seconds or a moment magnitude of the P wave using teleseismic seismogram data and the range of 10-60 seconds. In this research techniques have been developed a new approach to determine the displacement amplitude and duration of high frequency radiation using near earthquake. Determination of the duration of high frequency using half of period of P waves on the seismograms displacement. This is due tothe very complex rupture process in the near earthquake. Seismic data of the P wave mixing with other wave (S wave) before the duration runs out, so it is difficult to separate or determined the final of P-wave. Application of the 68 earthquakes recorded by station of CISI, Garut West Java, the following relationship is obtained: Mw = 0.78 log (A) + 0.83 log Δ + 0.69 log (t) + 6.46 with: A (m), d (km) and t (second). Moment magnitude of this new approach is quite reliable, time processing faster so useful for early warning.

New approach of determinations of earthquake moment magnitude using near earthquake source duration and maximum displacement amplitude of high frequency energy radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gunawan, H.; Puspito, N. T.; Ibrahim, G.; Harjadi, P. J. P.

2012-01-01

The new approach method to determine the magnitude by using amplitude displacement relationship (A), epicenter distance (Δ) and duration of high frequency radiation (t) has been investigated for Tasikmalaya earthquake, on September 2, 2009, and their aftershock. Moment magnitude scale commonly used seismic surface waves with the teleseismic range of the period is greater than 200 seconds or a moment magnitude of the P wave using teleseismic seismogram data and the range of 10-60 seconds. In this research techniques have been developed a new approach to determine the displacement amplitude and duration of high frequency radiation using near earthquake. Determination of the duration of high frequency using half of period of P waves on the seismograms displacement. This is due tothe very complex rupture process in the near earthquake. Seismic data of the P wave mixing with other wave (S wave) before the duration runs out, so it is difficult to separate or determined the final of P-wave. Application of the 68 earthquakes recorded by station of CISI, Garut West Java, the following relationship is obtained: Mw = 0.78 log (A) + 0.83 log Δ+ 0.69 log (t) + 6.46 with: A (m), d (km) and t (second). Moment magnitude of this new approach is quite reliable, time processing faster so useful for early warning.

The low-frequency radio eclipses of the black widow pulsar J1810+1744

Science.gov (United States)

Polzin, E. J.; Breton, R. P.; Clarke, A. O.; Kondratiev, V. I.; Stappers, B. W.; Hessels, J. W. T.; Bassa, C. G.; Broderick, J. W.; Grießmeier, J.-M.; Sobey, C.; ter Veen, S.; van Leeuwen, J.; Weltevrede, P.

2018-05-01

We have observed and analysed the eclipses of the black widow pulsar J1810+1744 at low radio frequencies. Using LOw-Frequency ARray (LOFAR) and Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope observations between 2011 and 2015, we have measured variations in flux density, dispersion measure, and scattering around eclipses. High-time resolution, simultaneous beamformed, and interferometric imaging LOFAR observations show concurrent disappearance of pulsations and total flux from the source during the eclipses, with a 3σ upper limit of 36 mJy ( duration scaling as ∝ ν-0.41 ± 0.03. The results are discussed in the context of the physical parameters of the system, and an examination of eclipse mechanisms reveals cyclotron-synchrotron absorption as the most likely primary cause, although non-linear scattering mechanisms cannot be quantitatively ruled out. The inferred mass-loss rate is a similar order of magnitude to the mean rate required to fully evaporate the companion in a Hubble time.

High-precision and low-cost vibration generator for low-frequency calibration system

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Rui-Jun; Lei, Ying-Jun; Zhang, Lian-Sheng; Chang, Zhen-Xin; Fan, Kuang-Chao; Cheng, Zhen-Ying; Hu, Peng-Hao

2018-03-01

Low-frequency vibration is one of the harmful factors that affect the accuracy of micro-/nano-measuring machines because its amplitude is significantly small and it is very difficult to avoid. In this paper, a low-cost and high-precision vibration generator was developed to calibrate an optical accelerometer, which is self-designed to detect low-frequency vibration. A piezoelectric actuator is used as vibration exciter, a leaf spring made of beryllium copper is used as an elastic component, and a high-resolution, low-thermal-drift eddy current sensor is applied to investigate the vibrator’s performance. Experimental results demonstrate that the vibration generator can achieve steady output displacement with frequency range from 0.6 Hz to 50 Hz, an analytical displacement resolution of 3.1 nm and an acceleration range from 3.72 mm s-2 to 1935.41 mm s-2 with a relative standard deviation less than 1.79%. The effectiveness of the high-precision and low-cost vibration generator was verified by calibrating our optical accelerometer.

Low-frequency oscillations in Hall thrusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei Li-Qiu; Han Liang; Yu Da-Ren; Guo Ning

2015-01-01

In this paper, we summarize the research development of low-frequency oscillations in the last few decades. The findings of physical mechanism, characteristics and stabilizing methods of low-frequency oscillations are discussed. It shows that it is unreasonable and incomplete to model an ionization region separately to analyze the physical mechanism of low-frequency oscillations. Electro-dynamics as well as the formation conditions of ionization distribution play an important role in characteristics and stabilizing of low-frequency oscillations. Understanding the physical mechanism and characteristics of low- frequency oscillations thoroughly and developing a feasible method stabilizing this instability are still important research subjects. (review)

Gender Identification Using High-Frequency Speech Energy: Effects of Increasing the Low-Frequency Limit.

Science.gov (United States)

Donai, Jeremy J; Halbritter, Rachel M

The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of normal-hearing listeners to use high-frequency energy for gender identification from naturally produced speech signals. Two experiments were conducted using a repeated-measures design. Experiment 1 investigated the effects of increasing high-pass filter cutoff (i.e., increasing the low-frequency spectral limit) on gender identification from naturally produced vowel segments. Experiment 2 studied the effects of increasing high-pass filter cutoff on gender identification from naturally produced sentences. Confidence ratings for the gender identification task were also obtained for both experiments. Listeners in experiment 1 were capable of extracting talker gender information at levels significantly above chance from vowel segments high-pass filtered up to 8.5 kHz. Listeners in experiment 2 also performed above chance on the gender identification task from sentences high-pass filtered up to 12 kHz. Cumulatively, the results of both experiments provide evidence that normal-hearing listeners can utilize information from the very high-frequency region (above 4 to 5 kHz) of the speech signal for talker gender identification. These findings are at variance with current assumptions regarding the perceptual information regarding talker gender within this frequency region. The current results also corroborate and extend previous studies of the use of high-frequency speech energy for perceptual tasks. These findings have potential implications for the study of information contained within the high-frequency region of the speech spectrum and the role this region may play in navigating the auditory scene, particularly when the low-frequency portion of the spectrum is masked by environmental noise sources or for listeners with substantial hearing loss in the low-frequency region and better hearing sensitivity in the high-frequency region (i.e., reverse slope hearing loss).

The global magnitude-frequency relationship for large explosive volcanic eruptions

Science.gov (United States)

Rougier, Jonathan; Sparks, R. Stephen J.; Cashman, Katharine V.; Brown, Sarah K.

2018-01-01

For volcanoes, as for other natural hazards, the frequency of large events diminishes with their magnitude, as captured by the magnitude-frequency relationship. Assessing this relationship is valuable both for the insights it provides about volcanism, and for the practical challenge of risk management. We derive a global magnitude-frequency relationship for explosive volcanic eruptions of at least 300Mt of erupted mass (or M4.5). Our approach is essentially empirical, based on the eruptions recorded in the LaMEVE database. It differs from previous approaches mainly in our conservative treatment of magnitude-rounding and under-recording. Our estimate for the return period of 'super-eruptions' (1000Gt, or M8) is 17ka (95% CI: 5.2ka, 48ka), which is substantially shorter than previous estimates, indicating that volcanoes pose a larger risk to human civilisation than previously thought.

Low Frequency Dispersion Mechanism of Dielectric Response for Oil-paper Insulation Diagnosis

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

ZHOU Lijun; LI Xianlang; WU Guangning

2013-01-01

Both the real part and imaginary part of complex permittivity approximately have a log-linear frequency dependency at low frequencies,especially at ultra-low frequencies under conditions of different moisture concentrations and temperatures,which is recognized as the low frequency dispersion (LFD).In order to explain this dispersion,a new mechanism of dielectric response of LFD of oil-paper insulation is proposed.A simplified one-dimensional mathematical model of concentration polarization carrier caused by slow migration is developed and solved,which indicates that ion mobility is closely related to the size of gap and the adsorption capacity of cellulose molecular chains to ions.A stochastic statistical model of the carrier mobility induced LFD is also developed.Moreover,actual tests under 50 ℃and 2％ moisture content were put forward,as well as simulations with according current waveforms.The simulation results agreed well with the experimental data in that concentration polarization of carriers caused by slow migration is the probable cause of low frequency dispersion ofdielectric response for oil-paper insulation diagnosis.

LOW FREQUENCY DAMPER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radu BOGATEANU

2009-09-01

Full Text Available The low frequency damper is an autonomous equipment for damping vibrations with the 1-20Hz range.Its autonomy enables the equipment to be located in various mechanical systems, without requiring special hydraulic installations.The low frequency damper was designed for damping the low frequency oscillations occurring in the circuit controls of the upgraded IAR-99 Aircraft.The low frequency damper is a novelty in the aerospace field ,with applicability in several areas as it can be built up in an appropriate range of dimensions meeting the requirements of different beneficiaries. On this line an equipment able to damp an extended frequency range was performed for damping oscillations in the pipes of the nuclear power plants.This damper, tested in INCAS laboratories matched the requirements of the beneficiary.The low frequency damper is patented – the patent no. 114583C1/2000 is held by INCAS.

Low-magnitude high-frequency vibration enhances gene expression related to callus formation, mineralization and remodeling during osteoporotic fracture healing in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Shu-Lu; Leung, Kwok-Sui; Cheung, Wing-Hoi

2014-12-01

Low magnitude high frequency vibration (LMHFV) has been shown to improve anabolic and osteogenic responses in osteoporotic intact bones and during osteoporotic fracture healing; however, the molecular response of LMHFV during osteoporotic fracture healing has not been investigated. It was hypothesized that LMHFV could enhance osteoporotic fracture healing by regulating the expression of genes related to chondrogenesis (Col-2), osteogenesis (Col-1) and remodeling (receptor activator for nuclear factor- κ B ligand (RANKL) and osteoproteger (OPG)). In this study, the effects of LMHFV on both osteoporotic and normal bone fracture healing were assessed by endpoint gene expressions, weekly radiographs, and histomorphometry at weeks 2, 4 and 8 post-treatment. LMHFV enhanced osteoporotic fracture healing by up-regulating the expression of chondrogenesis-, osteogenesis- and remodeling-related genes (Col-2 at week 4 (p=0.008), Col-1 at week 2 and 8 (p<0.001 and p=0.008) and RANKL/OPG at week 8 (p=0.045)). Osteoporotic bone had a higher response to LMHFV than normal bone and showed significantly better results as reflected by increased expression of Col-2 and Col-1 at week 2 (p<0.001 for all), larger callus width at week 2 (p=0.001), callus area at week 1 and 5(p<0.05 for all) and greater relative area of osseous tissue (p=0.002) at week 8. This study helps to understand how LMHFV regulates gene expression of callus formation, mineralization and remodeling during osteoporotic fracture healing. © 2014 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The role of temporal fine structure information for the low pitch of high-frequency complex tones

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Santurette, Sébastien; Dau, Torsten

2011-01-01

The fused low pitch evoked by complex tones containing only unresolved high-frequency components demonstrates the ability of the human auditory system to extract pitch using a temporal mechanism in the absence of spectral cues. However, the temporal features used by such a mechanism have been...... amplitude fluctuations, or temporal fine structure (TFS), of the conveyed signal can be processed. Using a pitch-matching paradigm, the present study found that the low pitch of inharmonic transposed tones with unresolved components was consistent with the timing between the most prominent TFS maxima...... coding as such, and that TFS representation might persist at higher frequencies than previously thought....

Alpha band frequency differences between low-trait and high-trait anxious individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, Richard T; Smith, Shelby L; Kraus, Brian T; Allen, Anna V; Moses, Michael A; Simon-Dack, Stephanie L

2018-01-17

Trait anxiety has been shown to cause significant impairments on attentional tasks. Current research has identified alpha band frequency differences between low-trait and high-trait anxious individuals. Here, we further investigated the underlying alpha band frequency differences between low-trait and high-trait anxious individuals during their resting state and the completion of an inhibition executive functioning task. Using human participants and quantitative electroencephalographic recordings, we measured alpha band frequency in individuals both high and low in trait anxiety during their resting state, and while they completed an Eriksen Flanker Task. Results indicated that high-trait anxious individuals exhibit a desynchronization in alpha band frequency from a resting state to when they complete the Eriksen Flanker Task. This suggests that high-trait anxious individuals maintain fewer attentional resources at rest and must martial resources for task performance as compared with low-trait anxious individuals, who appear to maintain stable cognitive resources between rest and task performance. These findings add to the cognitive neuroscience literature surrounding the role of alpha band frequency in low-trait and high-trait anxious individuals.

Extremely Low Frequency Magnetic Fields Induce Spermatogenic Germ Cell Apoptosis: Possible Mechanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sang-Kon Lee

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The energy generated by an extremely low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF is too weak to directly induce genotoxicity. However, it is reported that an extremely low frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF is related to DNA strand breakage and apoptosis. The testes that conduct spermatogenesis through a dynamic cellular process involving meiosis and mitosis seem vulnerable to external stress such as heat, MF exposure, and chemical or physical agents. Nevertheless the results regarding adverse effects of ELF-EMF on human or animal reproductive functions are inconclusive. According to the guideline of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP; 2010 for limiting exposure to time-varying MF (1 Hz to 100 kHz, overall conclusion of epidemiologic studies has not consistently shown an association between human adverse reproductive outcomes and maternal or paternal exposure to low frequency fields. In animal studies there is no compelling evidence of causal relationship between prenatal development and ELF-MF exposure. However there is increasing evidence that EL-EMF exposure is involved with germ cell apoptosis in testes. Biophysical mechanism by which ELF-MF induces germ cell apoptosis has not been established. This review proposes the possible mechanism of germ cell apoptosis in testes induced by ELF-MF.

Stress Recovery Effects of High- and Low-Frequency Amplified Music on Heart Rate Variability.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakajima, Yoshie; Tanaka, Naofumi; Mima, Tatsuya; Izumi, Shin-Ichi

Sounds can induce autonomic responses in listeners. However, the modulatory effect of specific frequency components of music is not fully understood. Here, we examined the role of the frequency component of music on autonomic responses. Specifically, we presented music that had been amplified in the high- or low-frequency domains. Twelve healthy women listened to white noise, a stress-inducing noise, and then one of three versions of a piece of music: original, low-, or high-frequency amplified. To measure autonomic response, we calculated the high-frequency normalized unit (HFnu), low-frequency normalized unit, and the LF/HF ratio from the heart rate using electrocardiography. We defined the stress recovery ratio as the value obtained after participants listened to music following scratching noise, normalized by the value obtained after participants listened to white noise after the stress noise, in terms of the HFnu, low-frequency normalized unit, LF/HF ratio, and heart rate. Results indicated that high-frequency amplified music had the highest HFnu of the three versions. The stress recovery ratio of HFnu under the high-frequency amplified stimulus was significantly larger than that under the low-frequency stimulus. Our results suggest that the high-frequency component of music plays a greater role in stress relief than low-frequency components.

Oscillographic Chronopotentiometry with High and Low Frequency Current

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2000-01-01

A novel electroanalytical method, oscillographic chronopotentiometry with high and low frequency current, is presented in this paper. With this method, the sensitivity of almost all kinds of oscillographic chronopotentiometry can be enhanced about one order.

Quantifying topographic and saturation frequency controls on magnitude and duration of hot moments in contrasting biogeochemical hotspots

Science.gov (United States)

Duncan, J. M.; Band, L. E.

2010-12-01

We combine high frequency field measurements and terrain analysis to assess the combined effects of topography and wetting frequency on nutrient processing for different landscape patches. This work is conducted in Pond Branch, a 40 ha reference catchment of the Baltimore Ecosystem Study LTER site. Pond Branch exhibits regular summer peaks in nitrate loads, the majority of which is exported at baseflow suggesting that non-storm periods may play an important role in the nutrient dynamics at this site. Terrain analysis of a high resolution LiDAR DEM enables identification of hotspots of solute transport, retention and transformation. On hillslopes, breaks in slope or small depressions along dominant flowpaths can have important implications for nutrient cycling and export. In riparian zones, secondary channels and riparian low spots are critical locations for the hydrological and biogeochemical response of the watershed. Furthermore, high frequency measurements of soil moisture and oxygen levels in these locations reveal that the magnitude and frequency of precipitation events is an important control on hotspot efficacy. Implications of using coarser resolution DEMs that do not capture this topographic variability are discussed.

Low-Magnitude High-Frequency Vibration Accelerated the Foot Wound Healing of n5-streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Rats by Enhancing Glucose Transporter 4 and Blood Microcirculation.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Caroline Oi-Ling; Leung, Kwok-Sui; Jiang, Jonney Lei; Wang, Tina Bai-Yan; Chow, Simon Kwoon-Ho; Cheung, Wing-Hoi

2017-09-14

Delayed wound healing is a Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) complication caused by hyperglycemia, systemic inflammation, and decreased blood microcirculation. Skeletal muscles are also affected by hyperglycemia, resulting in reduced blood flow and glucose uptake. Low Magnitude High Frequency Vibration (LMHFV) has been proven to be beneficial to muscle contractility and blood microcirculation. We hypothesized that LMHFV could accelerate the wound healing of n5-streptozotocin (n5-STZ)-induced DM rats by enhancing muscle activity and blood microcirculation. This study investigated the effects of LMHFV in an open foot wound created on the footpad of n5-STZ-induced DM rats (DM_V), compared with no-treatment DM (DM), non-DM vibration (Ctrl_V) and non-DM control rats (Ctrl) on Days 1, 4, 8 and 13. Results showed that the foot wounds of DM_V and Ctrl_V rats were significantly reduced in size compared to DM and Ctrl rats, respectively, at Day 13. The blood glucose level of DM_V rats was significantly reduced, while the glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) expression and blood microcirculation of DM_V rats were significantly enhanced in comparison to those of DM rats. In conclusion, LMHFV can accelerate the foot wound healing process of n5-STZ rats.

Regionalisation of low flow frequency curves for the Peninsular Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Mamun, Abdullah A.; Hashim, Alias; Daoud, Jamal I.

2010-02-01

SUMMARYRegional maps and equations for the magnitude and frequency of 1, 7 and 30-day low flows were derived and are presented in this paper. The river gauging stations of neighbouring catchments that produced similar low flow frequency curves were grouped together. As such, the Peninsular Malaysia was divided into seven low flow regions. Regional equations were developed using the multivariate regression technique. An empirical relationship was developed for mean annual minimum flow as a function of catchment area, mean annual rainfall and mean annual evaporation. The regional equations exhibited good coefficient of determination ( R2 > 0.90). Three low flow frequency curves showing the low, mean and high limits for each region were proposed based on a graphical best-fit technique. Knowing the catchment area, mean annual rainfall and evaporation in the region, design low flows of different durations can be easily estimated for the ungauged catchments. This procedure is expected to overcome the problem of data unavailability in estimating low flows in the Peninsular Malaysia.

Low power very high frequency resonant converter with high step down ratio

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Mickey Pierre; Knott, Arnold; Andersen, Michael A. E.

2013-01-01

This paper presents the design of a resonant converter with a switching frequency in the very high frequency range (30-300MHz), a large step down ratio and low output power. This gives the designed converters specifications which are far from previous results. The class E inverter and rectifier...

The low-frequency encoding disadvantage: Word frequency affects processing demands.

Science.gov (United States)

Diana, Rachel A; Reder, Lynne M

2006-07-01

Low-frequency words produce more hits and fewer false alarms than high-frequency words in a recognition task. The low-frequency hit rate advantage has sometimes been attributed to processes that operate during the recognition test (e.g., L. M. Reder et al., 2000). When tasks other than recognition, such as recall, cued recall, or associative recognition, are used, the effects seem to contradict a low-frequency advantage in memory. Four experiments are presented to support the claim that in addition to the advantage of low-frequency words at retrieval, there is a low-frequency disadvantage during encoding. That is, low-frequency words require more processing resources to be encoded episodically than high-frequency words. Under encoding conditions in which processing resources are limited, low-frequency words show a larger decrement in recognition than high-frequency words. Also, studying items (pictures and words of varying frequencies) along with low-frequency words reduces performance for those stimuli. Copyright 2006 APA, all rights reserved.

Stimulus Ratio and Level Dependence of Low- and Mid-Frequency Distortion-Product Otoacoustic Emissions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Anders Tornvig; Ordoñez, Rodrigo Pizarro; Hammershøi, Dorte

2014-01-01

ratios f2/f1 (1.05-1.50) and three stimulus sound pressure levels L1/L2 (65/45, 65/55, 70/60) were measured in each configuration. The DPOAE response was isolated with the discrete Fourier transformation (DFT). The DFT measures the DPOAE response accurately only when the DPOAE frequency and both stimulus...... examples of low-frequency DPOAEs exist in the literature. Overcoming the decreasing response level and increasing noise level with decreasing frequency may provide a non-invasive window into the inner-ear mechanics of low-frequency hearing. Eighteen out of 21 young human adults screened (19-30 years) had......-frequency range. The stimulus level has similar effects in both frequency ranges, that is, the ratio-magnitude response increases and broadens with increasing level. The combined observations could indicate a difference between apical and basal cochlear physiology....

Stable dynamics in forced systems with sufficiently high/low forcing frequency.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartuccelli, M; Gentile, G; Wright, J A

2016-08-01

We consider parametrically forced Hamiltonian systems with one-and-a-half degrees of freedom and study the stability of the dynamics when the frequency of the forcing is relatively high or low. We show that, provided the frequency is sufficiently high, Kolmogorov-Arnold-Moser (KAM) theorem may be applied even when the forcing amplitude is far away from the perturbation regime. A similar result is obtained for sufficiently low frequency, but in that case we need the amplitude of the forcing to be not too large; however, we are still able to consider amplitudes which are outside of the perturbation regime. In addition, we find numerically that the dynamics may be stable even when the forcing amplitude is very large, well beyond the range of validity of the analytical results, provided the frequency of the forcing is taken correspondingly low.

Design and initial characterization of a compact, ultra high vacuum compatible, low frequency, tilt accelerometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O’Toole, A.; Peña Arellano, F. E.; Rodionov, A. V.; Kim, C.; Shaner, M.; Asadoor, M.; Sobacchi, E.; Dergachev, V.; DeSalvo, R.; Bhawal, A.; Gong, P.; Lottarini, A.; Minenkov, Y.; Murphy, C.

2014-01-01

A compact tilt accelerometer with high sensitivity at low frequency was designed to provide low frequency corrections for the feedback signal of the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory active seismic attenuation system. It has been developed using a Tungsten Carbide ceramic knife-edge hinge designed to avoid the mechanical 1/f noise believed to be intrinsic in polycrystalline metallic flexures. Design and construction details are presented; prototype data acquisition and control limitations are discussed. The instrument's characterization reported here shows that the hinge is compatible with being metal-hysteresis-free, and therefore also free of the 1/f noise generated by the dislocation Self-Organized Criticality in the metal. A tiltmeter of this kind will be effective to separate the ground tilt component from the signal of horizontal low frequency seismometers, and to correct the ill effects of microseismic tilt in advanced seismic attenuation systems

Design and initial characterization of a compact, ultra high vacuum compatible, low frequency, tilt accelerometer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O’Toole, A., E-mail: amandajotoole@gmail.com, E-mail: riccardo.desalvo@gmail.com [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Ave, Los Angeles, California 90095 (United States); Peña Arellano, F. E. [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan); Rodionov, A. V.; Kim, C. [California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125 (United States); Shaner, M.; Asadoor, M. [Mayfield Senior School, 500 Bellefontaine Street Pasadena, California 91105 (United States); Sobacchi, E. [Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa (Italy); Dergachev, V.; DeSalvo, R., E-mail: amandajotoole@gmail.com, E-mail: riccardo.desalvo@gmail.com [LIGO Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, MS 100-36, Pasadena, California 91125 (United States); Bhawal, A. [Arcadia High School, 180 Campus Drive, Arcadia, California 91007 (United States); Gong, P. [Department of Precision Instrument, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Lottarini, A. [Department of Computer Science, University of Pisa, Largo B. Pontecorvo 3, 56127 Pisa (Italy); Minenkov, Y. [Sezione INFN Tor Vergata, via della Ricerca Scientfica 1, 00133 Roma (Italy); Murphy, C. [School of Physics, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, Western Australia 6009 (Australia)

2014-07-15

A compact tilt accelerometer with high sensitivity at low frequency was designed to provide low frequency corrections for the feedback signal of the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory active seismic attenuation system. It has been developed using a Tungsten Carbide ceramic knife-edge hinge designed to avoid the mechanical 1/f noise believed to be intrinsic in polycrystalline metallic flexures. Design and construction details are presented; prototype data acquisition and control limitations are discussed. The instrument's characterization reported here shows that the hinge is compatible with being metal-hysteresis-free, and therefore also free of the 1/f noise generated by the dislocation Self-Organized Criticality in the metal. A tiltmeter of this kind will be effective to separate the ground tilt component from the signal of horizontal low frequency seismometers, and to correct the ill effects of microseismic tilt in advanced seismic attenuation systems.

The magnitude of innovation and its evolution in social animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Arbilly, Michal; Laland, Kevin N

2017-02-08

Innovative behaviour in animals, ranging from invertebrates to humans, is increasingly recognized as an important topic for investigation by behavioural researchers. However, what constitutes an innovation remains controversial, and difficult to quantify. Drawing on a broad definition whereby any behaviour with a new component to it is an innovation, we propose a quantitative measure, which we call the magnitude of innovation , to describe the extent to which an innovative behaviour is novel. This allows us to distinguish between innovations that are a slight change to existing behaviours (low magnitude), and innovations that are substantially different (high magnitude). Using mathematical modelling and evolutionary computer simulations, we explored how aspects of social interaction, cognition and natural selection affect the frequency and magnitude of innovation. We show that high-magnitude innovations are likely to arise regularly even if the frequency of innovation is low, as long as this frequency is relatively constant, and that the selectivity of social learning and the existence of social rewards, such as prestige and royalties, are crucial for innovative behaviour to evolve. We suggest that consideration of the magnitude of innovation may prove a useful tool in the study of the evolution of cognition and of culture. © 2017 The Author(s).

Multiscale Thermo-Mechanical Design and Analysis of High Frequency and High Power Vacuum Electron Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Gamzina, Diana

Diana Gamzina March 2016 Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Multiscale Thermo-Mechanical Design and Analysis of High Frequency and High Power Vacuum Electron Devices Abstract A methodology for performing thermo-mechanical design and analysis of high frequency and high average power vacuum electron devices is presented. This methodology results in a "first-pass" engineering design directly ready for manufacturing. The methodology includes establishment of thermal and mechanical boundary conditions, evaluation of convective film heat transfer coefficients, identification of material options, evaluation of temperature and stress field distributions, assessment of microscale effects on the stress state of the material, and fatigue analysis. The feature size of vacuum electron devices operating in the high frequency regime of 100 GHz to 1 THz is comparable to the microstructure of the materials employed for their fabrication. As a result, the thermo-mechanical performance of a device is affected by the local material microstructure. Such multiscale effects on the stress state are considered in the range of scales from about 10 microns up to a few millimeters. The design and analysis methodology is demonstrated on three separate microwave devices: a 95 GHz 10 kW cw sheet beam klystron, a 263 GHz 50 W long pulse wide-bandwidth sheet beam travelling wave tube, and a 346 GHz 1 W cw backward wave oscillator.

On the low frequency characteristics of head-related transfer function

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

XIE Bosun

2009-01-01

A method to correct the measured head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) at low frequency was proposed. By analyzing the HRTFs from the spherical head model at low frequency, it is proved that below the frequency of 400 Hz, magnitude of HRTF is nearly constant and the phase is a linear function of frequency both for the far and near field. Therefore, if the HRTFs above 400 Hz are accurately measured by experiment, it is able to correct the HRTFs at low frequency by the theoretical model. The results of calculation and subjective experiment show that the feasibility of the proposed method.

[The features of high and low-frequency function of horizontal, semicircular canal in Meniere's disease].

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ying; Zhao, Zhongxin; Zhuang, Jianhua; Xie, Xuewei; Jin, Zhe; Li, Fei

2015-05-01

To analyze the feature of horizontal semicircular canal function at high and low-frequencies in Meniere's disease. Thirty patients suffering from unilateral Meniere's disease were included in the research from 2013 June to 2014 June. Caloric test and video head impulse test were performed to evaluate the high low-frequency function of horizontal semicircular canal. these patients were devided by the severity of unilateral weakness in caloric test. The gain value in video head impulse test, which reflects the high-frequency function of semicircular canal, were not different between the normal and mild abnormal group (P > 0.05), but were obviously different between the normal and mild-severe abnormal group, slight abnormal and mild-severe abnormal group (P frequency function of both side, has no difference between three groups (P > 0.05). A part of Meniere's disease may have normal high, low-frequency function of horizontal semicircular canal. As patient suffering slight injury of low-frequency function, the high-frequency function keeps normal. As the injury of low-frequency function become mildly to severely, the damage of high-frequency function appears, but the symmetry still keeps balance.

Evidence of resonant mode coupling and the relationship between low and high frequencies in a rapidly rotating a star

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breger, M.; Montgomery, M. H.

2014-01-01

In the theory of resonant mode coupling, the parent and child modes are directly related in frequency and phase. The oscillations present in the fast rotating δ Sct star KIC 8054146 allow us to test the most general and generic aspects of such a theory. The only direct way to separate the parent and coupled (child) modes is to examine the correlations in amplitude variability between the different frequencies. For the dominant family of related frequencies, only a single mode and a triplet are the origins of nine dominant frequency peaks ranging from 2.93 to 66.30 cycles day –1 (as well as dozens of small-amplitude combination modes and a predicted and detected third high-frequency triplet). The mode-coupling model correctly predicts the large amplitude variations of the coupled modes as a product of the amplitudes of the parent modes, while the phase changes are also correctly modeled. This differs from the behavior of 'normal' combination frequencies in that the amplitudes are three orders of magnitude larger and may exceed even the amplitudes of the parent modes. We show that two dominant low frequencies at 5.86 and 2.93 cycles day –1 in the gravity-mode region are not harmonics of each other, and their properties follow those of the almost equidistant high-frequency triplet. We note that the previously puzzling situation of finding two strong peaks in the low-frequency region related by nearly a factor of two in frequency has been seen in other δ Sct stars as well.

Evidence of resonant mode coupling and the relationship between low and high frequencies in a rapidly rotating a star

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Breger, M.; Montgomery, M. H. [Department of Astronomy, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712 (United States)

2014-03-10

In the theory of resonant mode coupling, the parent and child modes are directly related in frequency and phase. The oscillations present in the fast rotating δ Sct star KIC 8054146 allow us to test the most general and generic aspects of such a theory. The only direct way to separate the parent and coupled (child) modes is to examine the correlations in amplitude variability between the different frequencies. For the dominant family of related frequencies, only a single mode and a triplet are the origins of nine dominant frequency peaks ranging from 2.93 to 66.30 cycles day{sup –1} (as well as dozens of small-amplitude combination modes and a predicted and detected third high-frequency triplet). The mode-coupling model correctly predicts the large amplitude variations of the coupled modes as a product of the amplitudes of the parent modes, while the phase changes are also correctly modeled. This differs from the behavior of 'normal' combination frequencies in that the amplitudes are three orders of magnitude larger and may exceed even the amplitudes of the parent modes. We show that two dominant low frequencies at 5.86 and 2.93 cycles day{sup –1} in the gravity-mode region are not harmonics of each other, and their properties follow those of the almost equidistant high-frequency triplet. We note that the previously puzzling situation of finding two strong peaks in the low-frequency region related by nearly a factor of two in frequency has been seen in other δ Sct stars as well.

A Low Frequency FBG Accelerometer with Symmetrical Bended Spring Plates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fufei Liu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available To meet the requirements for low-frequency vibration monitoring, a new type of FBG (fiber Bragg grating accelerometer with a bended spring plate is proposed. Two symmetrical bended spring plates are used as elastic elements, which drive the FBG to produce axial strains equal in magnitude but opposite in direction when exciting vibrations exist, leading to doubling the wavelength shift of the FBG. The mechanics model and a numerical method are presented in this paper, with which the influence of the structural parameters on the sensitivity and the eigenfrequency are discussed. The test results show that the sensitivity of the accelerometer is more than 1000 pm/g when the frequency is within the 0.7–20 Hz range.

Runoff-generated debris flows: observations and modeling of surge initiation, magnitude, and frequency

Science.gov (United States)

Kean, Jason W.; McCoy, Scott W.; Tucker, Gregory E.; Staley, Dennis M.; Coe, Jeffrey A.

2013-01-01

Runoff during intense rainstorms plays a major role in generating debris flows in many alpine areas and burned steeplands. Yet compared to debris flow initiation from shallow landslides, the mechanics by which runoff generates a debris flow are less understood. To better understand debris flow initiation by surface water runoff, we monitored flow stage and rainfall associated with debris flows in the headwaters of two small catchments: a bedrock-dominated alpine basin in central Colorado (0.06 km2) and a recently burned area in southern California (0.01 km2). We also obtained video footage of debris flow initiation and flow dynamics from three cameras at the Colorado site. Stage observations at both sites display distinct patterns in debris flow surge characteristics relative to rainfall intensity (I). We observe small, quasiperiodic surges at low I; large, quasiperiodic surges at intermediate I; and a single large surge followed by small-amplitude fluctuations about a more steady high flow at high I. Video observations of surge formation lead us to the hypothesis that these flow patterns are controlled by upstream variations in channel slope, in which low-gradient sections act as “sediment capacitors,” temporarily storing incoming bed load transported by water flow and periodically releasing the accumulated sediment as a debris flow surge. To explore this hypothesis, we develop a simple one-dimensional morphodynamic model of a sediment capacitor that consists of a system of coupled equations for water flow, bed load transport, slope stability, and mass flow. This model reproduces the essential patterns in surge magnitude and frequency with rainfall intensity observed at the two field sites and provides a new framework for predicting the runoff threshold for debris flow initiation in a burned or alpine setting.

Inactivation of Enterobacter aerogenes in reconstituted skim milk by high- and low-frequency ultrasound.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Shengpu; Hemar, Yacine; Lewis, Gillian D; Ashokkumar, Muthupandian

2014-11-01

The inactivation of Enterobacter aerogenes in skim milk using low-frequency (20kHz) and high-frequency (850kHz) ultrasonication was investigated. It was found that low-frequency acoustic cavitation resulted in lethal damage to E. aerogenes. The bacteria were more sensitive to ultrasound in water than in reconstituted skim milk having different protein concentrations. However, high-frequency ultrasound was not able to inactivate E. aerogenes in milk even when powers as high as 50W for 60min were used. This study also showed that high-frequency ultrasonication had no influence on the viscosity and particle size of skim milk, whereas low-frequency ultrasonication resulted in the decrease in viscosity and particle size of milk. The decrease in particle size is believed to be due to the breakup of the fat globules, and possibly to the cleavage of the κ-casein present at the surface of the casein micelles. Whey proteins were also found to be slightly affected by low-frequency ultrasound, with the amounts of α-lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin slightly decreasing. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Saturation of subjective reward magnitude as a function of current and pulse frequency.

Science.gov (United States)

Simmons, J M; Gallistel, C R

1994-02-01

In rats with electrodes in the medial forebrain bundle, the upper portion of the function relating the experienced magnitude of the reward to pulse frequency was determined at currents ranging from 100 to 1,000 microA. The pulse frequency required to produce an asymptotic level of reward was inversely proportional to current except at the lowest currents and highest pulse frequencies. At a given current, the subjective reward magnitude functions decelerated to an asymptote over an interval in which the pulse frequency doubled or tripled. The asymptotic level of reward was approximately constant for currents between 200 and 1,000 microA but declined substantially at currents at or below 100 microA and pulse frequencies at or above 250 to 400 pulses per second. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the magnitude of the experienced reward depends only on the number of action potentials generated by the train of pulses in the bundle of reward-relevant axons.

Low-temperature mechanical properties of superconducting radio frequency cavity materials

Science.gov (United States)

Byun, Thak Sang; Kim, Sang-Ho; Mammosser, John

2009-08-01

Low-temperature mechanical behaviors have been investigated for the constituent materials of superconducting radio frequency cavities. Test materials consist of small grain Nb, single crystal Nb, large grain Nb (bicrystal), Ti45Nb-Nb weld joint (e-beam welded), and Ti-316L bimetal joint (explosion welded). The strength of all test metals displayed strong temperature dependence and the Ti-316L bimetal showed the highest strength and lowest ductility among the test materials. The fracture toughness of the small grain Nb metals decreased with decreasing test temperature and reached the lower shelf values (30-40 MPa √m) at or above 173 K. The Ti45Nb base and Ti45Nb-Nb weld metals showed much higher fracture toughness than the small grain Nb. An extrapolation and comparison with existing data showed that the fracture toughness of the small grain Nb metals at 4 K was expected to be similar to those at 173 and 77 K. The results from optical photography at a low magnification and fractography by a scanning electron microscope were consistent with corresponding mechanical properties.

Low-temperature mechanical properties of superconducting radio frequency cavity materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Byun, Thak Sang [ORNL; Kim, Sang-Ho [ORNL; Mammosser, John [ORNL

2009-01-01

Low temperature mechanical behaviors have been investigated for the constituent materials of superconducting radio frequency cavities. Test materials consist of small grain Nb, single crystal Nb, large grain Nb (bicrystal), Ti45Nb-Nb weld joint (e-beam welded), and Ti-316L bimetal joint (explosion welded). The strength of all test metals displayed strong temperature dependence and the Ti-316L bimetal showed the highest strength and lowest ductility among the test materials. The fracture toughness of the small grain Nb metals decreased with decreasing test temperature and reached the lower shelf values (30 40 MPa m) at or above 173 K. The Ti45Nb base and Ti45Nb-Nb weld metals showed much higher fracture toughness than the small grain Nb. An extrapolation and comparison with existing data showed that the fracture toughness of the small grain Nb metals at 4 K was expected to be similar to those at 173 K and 77 K. The results from optical photography at a low magnification and fractography by a scanning electron microscope were consistent with corresponding mechanical properties.

Are low and high number magnitudes processed differently while resolving the conflict evoked by the SNARC effect?

Science.gov (United States)

Gut, Małgorzata; Szumska, Izabela; Wasilewska, Marzena; Jaśkowski, Piotr

2012-07-01

In the brain, numbers are thought to be represented in a spatially organised fashion on what is known as the Mental Number Line (MNL). The SNARC (Spatial-Numerical Association of Response Codes) effect refers to the faster responses to digits when the reaction side is congruent with the digit position on the MNL (e.g. a left-handed response to a small magnitude) and the slowing down of responses (inhibition) in the case of incongruity. We examined the electrophysiological correlates of conflict, which are linked to that of inhibition, to shed light on the relationship between the SNARC effect and executive attention. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded from twenty-nine participants during a parity-judgment task. The participants responded more quickly on congruent than on incongruent trials. The congruency effect was reflected in early sensory (N1, N2) components above parieto-occipital and frontal regions, as well as in the later P3 component above centro-parietal areas. Moreover, both the N1 amplitude and N2 latency were greater with high than low magnitude digit targets. P3 amplitude modulation implies that the SNARC effect is the result of first evoking the parallel processing of digit magnitude categorisation (in the occipital and central areas) and numeric conflict detection (in the parieto-occipital and frontal areas) and secondly conflict monitoring and resolution localised in the centro-parietal and frontal sites. These results also suggest that the left hemisphere specialises in conflict processing of high magnitude digit targets, while the right hemisphere of low digit magnitudes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Low-frequency high-definition power Doppler in visualizing and defining fetal pulmonary venous connections.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Lin; He, Yihua; Li, Zhian; Gu, Xiaoyan; Zhang, Ye; Zhang, Lianzhong

2014-07-01

The use of low-frequency high-definition power Doppler in assessing and defining pulmonary venous connections was investigated. Study A included 260 fetuses at gestational ages ranging from 18 to 36 weeks. Pulmonary veins were assessed by performing two-dimensional B-mode imaging, color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI), and low-frequency high-definition power Doppler. A score of 1 was assigned if one pulmonary vein was visualized, 2 if two pulmonary veins were visualized, 3 if three pulmonary veins were visualized, and 4 if four pulmonary veins were visualized. The detection rate between Exam-1 and Exam-2 (intra-observer variability) and between Exam-1 and Exam-3 (inter-observer variability) was compared. In study B, five cases with abnormal pulmonary venous connection were diagnosed and compared to their anatomical examination. In study A, there was a significant difference between CDFI and low-frequency high-definition power Doppler for the four pulmonary veins observed (P low-frequency high-definition power Doppler was higher than that when employing two-dimensional B-mode imaging or CDFI. There was no significant difference between the intra- and inter-observer variabilities using low-frequency high-definition power Doppler display of pulmonary veins (P > 0.05). The coefficient correlation between Exam-1 and Exam-2 was 0.844, and the coefficient correlation between Exam-1 and Exam-3 was 0.821. In study B, one case of total anomalous pulmonary venous return and four cases of partial anomalous pulmonary venous return were diagnosed by low-frequency high-definition power Doppler and confirmed by autopsy. The assessment of pulmonary venous connections by low-frequency high-definition power Doppler is advantageous. Pulmonary venous anatomy can and should be monitored during fetal heart examination.

Low-frequency excess flux noise in superconducting devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kempf, Sebastian; Ferring, Anna; Fleischmann, Andreas; Enss, Christian [Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, Heidelberg University (Germany)

2016-07-01

Low-frequency noise is a rather universal phenomenon and appears in physical, chemical, biological or even economical systems. However, there is often very little known about the underlying processes leading to its occurrence. In particular, the origin of low-frequency excess flux noise in superconducting devices has been an unresolved puzzle for many decades. Its existence limits, for example, the coherence time of superconducting quantum bits or makes high-precision measurements of low-frequency signals using SQUIDs rather challenging. Recent experiments suggest that low-frequency excess flux noise in Josephson junction based devices might be caused by the random reversal of interacting spins in surface layer oxides and in the superconductor-substrate interface. Even if it turns out to be generally correct, the underlying physical processes, i.e. the origin of these spins, their physical nature as well as the interaction mechanisms, have not been resolved so far. In this contribution we discuss recent measurements of low-frequency SQUID noise which we performed to investigate the origin of low-frequency excess flux noise in superconducting devices. Within this context we give an overview of our measurement techniques and link our data with present theoretical models and literature data.

Recognition memory for low- and high-frequency-filtered emotional faces: Low spatial frequencies drive emotional memory enhancement, whereas high spatial frequencies drive the emotion-induced recognition bias.

Science.gov (United States)

Rohr, Michaela; Tröger, Johannes; Michely, Nils; Uhde, Alarith; Wentura, Dirk

2017-07-01

This article deals with two well-documented phenomena regarding emotional stimuli: emotional memory enhancement-that is, better long-term memory for emotional than for neutral stimuli-and the emotion-induced recognition bias-that is, a more liberal response criterion for emotional than for neutral stimuli. Studies on visual emotion perception and attention suggest that emotion-related processes can be modulated by means of spatial-frequency filtering of the presented emotional stimuli. Specifically, low spatial frequencies are assumed to play a primary role for the influence of emotion on attention and judgment. Given this theoretical background, we investigated whether spatial-frequency filtering also impacts (1) the memory advantage for emotional faces and (2) the emotion-induced recognition bias, in a series of old/new recognition experiments. Participants completed incidental-learning tasks with high- (HSF) and low- (LSF) spatial-frequency-filtered emotional and neutral faces. The results of the surprise recognition tests showed a clear memory advantage for emotional stimuli. Most importantly, the emotional memory enhancement was significantly larger for face images containing only low-frequency information (LSF faces) than for HSF faces across all experiments, suggesting that LSF information plays a critical role in this effect, whereas the emotion-induced recognition bias was found only for HSF stimuli. We discuss our findings in terms of both the traditional account of different processing pathways for HSF and LSF information and a stimulus features account. The double dissociation in the results favors the latter account-that is, an explanation in terms of differences in the characteristics of HSF and LSF stimuli.

Floods on small streams in North Carolina, probable magnitude and frequency

Science.gov (United States)

Hinson, Herbert G.

1965-01-01

The magnitude and frequency of floods are defined regionally for small streams (drainage area, 1 to 150 sq mi) in North Carolina. Composite frequency curves for each of two regions relate the magnitude of the annual flood, in ratio to the mean annual flood, to recurrence intervals of 1.1 to 50 years. In North Carolina, the mean annual flood (Q2.33) is related to drainage area (A) by the following equation: Q2. 33 = GA0.66, where G, the geographic factor, is the product of a statewide coefficient (US) times a correction which reflects differences in basin characteristics. Isograms of the G factor covering the State are presented.

A piezoelectric micro generator worked at low frequency and high acceleration based on PZT and phosphor bronze bonding.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Gang; Yang, Bin; Hou, Cheng; Li, Guimiao; Liu, Jingquan; Chen, Xiang; Yang, Chunsheng

2016-12-08

Recently, piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs) have been paid a lot of attention by many researchers to convert mechanical energy into electrical and low level vibration. Currently, most of PEHs worked under high frequency and low level vibration. In this paper, we propose a micro cantilever generator based on the bonding of bulk PZT wafer and phosphor bronze, which is fabricated by MEMS technology, such as mechanical chemical thinning and etching. The experimental results show that the open-circuit output voltage, output power and power density of this fabricated prototype are 35 V, 321 μW and 8664 μW cm -3 at the resonant frequency of 100.8 Hz, respectively, when it matches an optimal loading resistance of 140 kΩ under the excitation of 3.0 g acceleration. The fabricated micro generator can obtain the open-circuit stable output voltage of 61.2 V when the vibration acceleration arrives at 7.0 g. Meanwhile, when this device is pasted on the vibrating vacuum pump, the output voltage is about 11 V. It demonstrates that this novel proposed device can scavenge high vibration level energy at low frequency for powering the inertial sensors in internet of things application.

In vivo photoacoustics and high frequency ultrasound imaging of mechanical high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation.

Science.gov (United States)

Daoudi, Khalid; Hoogenboom, Martijn; den Brok, Martijn; Eikelenboom, Dylan; Adema, Gosse J; Fütterer, Jürgen J; de Korte, Chris L

2017-04-01

The thermal effect of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has been clinically exploited over a decade, while the mechanical HIFU is still largely confined to laboratory investigations. This is in part due to the lack of adequate imaging techniques to better understand the in-vivo pathological and immunological effects caused by the mechanical treatment. In this work, we explore the use of high frequency ultrasound (US) and photoacoustics (PA) as a potential tool to evaluate the effect of mechanical ablation in-vivo , e.g. boiling histotripsy. Two mice bearing a neuroblastoma tumor in the right leg were ablated using an MRI-HIFU system conceived for small animals and monitored using MRI thermometry. High frequency US and PA imaging were performed before and after the HIFU treatment. Afterwards, the tumor was resected for further assessment and evaluation of the ablated region using histopathology. High frequency US imaging revealed the presence of liquefied regions in the treated area together with fragmentized tissue which appeared with different reflecting proprieties compared to the surrounding tissue. Photoacoustic imaging on the other hand revealed the presence of deoxygenated blood within the tumor after the ablation due to the destruction of blood vessel network while color Doppler imaging confirmed the blood vessel network destruction within the tumor. The treated area and the presence of red blood cells detected by photoacoustics were further confirmed by the histopathology. This feasibility study demonstrates the potential of high frequency US and PA approach for assessing in-vivo the effect of mechanical HIFU tumor ablation.

Evaluation of the Frequency for Gas Sampling for the High Burnup Confirmatory Data Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stockman, Christine T. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Alsaed, Halim A. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Bryan, Charles R. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Marschman, Steven C. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Scaglione, John M. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2015-05-01

This report provides a technically based gas sampling frequency strategy for the High Burnup (HBU) Confirmatory Data Project. The evaluation of: 1) the types and magnitudes of gases that could be present in the project cask and, 2) the degradation mechanisms that could change gas compositions culminates in an adaptive gas sampling frequency strategy. This adaptive strategy is compared against the sampling frequency that has been developed based on operational considerations.

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ZONAL WIND ANOMALIES IN HIGH AND LOW TROPOSPHERE AND ANNUAL FREQUENCY OF NW PACIFIC TROPICAL CYCLONES

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

GONG Zhen-song; HE Min

2007-01-01

Relationships between large-scale zonal wind anomalies and annual frequency of NW Pacific tropical cyclones and possible mechanisms are investigated with the methods of correlation and composition.It is indicated that when △ U200-△U850 ＞0 in the eastern tropical Pacific and △ U200- △U850 ＜0 in western tropical Pacific, the Walker cell is stronger in the Pacific tropical region and the annual frequency of NW Pacific tropical cyclone are above normal. In the years with zonal wind anomalies, the circulation of high and low troposphere and the vertical motions in the troposphere have significant characteristics. In the time scale of short-range climate prediction, zonal wind anomalies in high and low troposphere are useful as a preliminary signal of the annual frequency prediction of NW Pacific tropical cyclones.

Effect of slip-area scaling on the earthquake frequency-magnitude relationship

Science.gov (United States)

Senatorski, Piotr

2017-06-01

The earthquake frequency-magnitude relationship is considered in the maximum entropy principle (MEP) perspective. The MEP suggests sampling with constraints as a simple stochastic model of seismicity. The model is based on the von Neumann's acceptance-rejection method, with b-value as the parameter that breaks symmetry between small and large earthquakes. The Gutenberg-Richter law's b-value forms a link between earthquake statistics and physics. Dependence between b-value and the rupture area vs. slip scaling exponent is derived. The relationship enables us to explain observed ranges of b-values for different types of earthquakes. Specifically, different b-value ranges for tectonic and induced, hydraulic fracturing seismicity is explained in terms of their different triggering mechanisms: by the applied stress increase and fault strength reduction, respectively.

Low-frequency blood pressure oscillations and inotrope treatment failure in premature infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Vesoulis, Zachary A; Hao, Jessica; McPherson, Christopher; El Ters, Nathalie M; Mathur, Amit M

2017-07-01

The underlying mechanism as to why some hypotensive preterm infants do not respond to inotropic medications remains unclear. For these infants, we hypothesize that impaired vasomotor function is a significant factor and is manifested through a decrease in low-frequency blood pressure variability across regulatory components of vascular tone. Infants born ≤28 wk estimated gestational age underwent prospective recording of mean arterial blood pressure for 72 h after birth. After error correction, root-mean-square spectral power was calculated for each valid 10-min data frame across each of four frequency bands ( B1 , 0.005-0.0095 Hz; B2 , 0.0095-0.02 Hz; B3 , 0.02-0.06 Hz; and B4 , 0.06-0.16) corresponding to different components of vasomotion control. Forty infants (twenty-nine normotensive control and eleven inotrope-exposed) were included with a mean ± SD estimated gestational age of 25.2 ± 1.6 wk and birth weight 790 ± 211 g. 9.7/11.8 Million (82%) data points were error-free and used for analysis. Spectral power across all frequency bands increased with time, although the magnitude was 20% less in the inotrope-exposed infants. A statistically significant increase in spectral power in response to inotrope initiation was noted across all frequency bands. Infants with robust blood pressure response to inotropes had a greater increase compared with those who had limited or no blood pressure response. In this study, hypotensive infants who require inotropes have decreased low-frequency variability at baseline compared with normotensive infants, which increases after inotrope initiation. Low-frequency spectral power does not change for those with inotrope treatment failure, suggesting dysfunctional regulation of vascular tone as a potential mechanism of treatment failure. NEW & NOTEWORTHY In this study, we examine patterns of low-frequency oscillations in blood pressure variability across regulatory components of vascular tone in normotensive and

Low Frequency Turbulence as the Source of High Frequency Waves in Multi-Component Space Plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Khazanov, George V.; Krivorutsky, Emmanuel N.; Uritsky, Vadim M.

2011-01-01

Space plasmas support a wide variety of waves, and wave-particle interactions as well as wavewave interactions are of crucial importance to magnetospheric and ionospheric plasma behavior. High frequency wave turbulence generation by the low frequency (LF) turbulence is restricted by two interconnected requirements: the turbulence should be strong enough and/or the coherent wave trains should have the appropriate length. These requirements are strongly relaxed in the multi-component plasmas, due to the heavy ions large drift velocity in the field of LF wave. The excitation of lower hybrid waves (LHWs), in particular, is a widely discussed mechanism of interaction between plasma species in space and is one of the unresolved questions of magnetospheric multi-ion plasmas. It is demonstrated that large-amplitude Alfven waves, in particular those associated with LF turbulence, may generate LHW s in the auroral zone and ring current region and in some cases (particularly in the inner magnetosphere) this serves as the Alfven wave saturation mechanism. We also argue that the described scenario can playa vital role in various parts of the outer magnetosphere featuring strong LF turbulence accompanied by LHW activity. Using the data from THEMIS spacecraft, we validate the conditions for such cross-scale coupling in the near-Earth "flow-braking" magnetotail region during the passage of sharp injection/dipolarization fronts, as well as in the turbulent outflow region of the midtail reconnection site.

Optical coherence tomography and low-frequency mechanics: A moderated discussion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Freeman, Dennis M. [Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts (United States); Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts (United States); Ruggero, Mario A. [Knowles Hearing Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois (United States)

2015-12-31

The following is an edited transcript of a recorded discussion session on the topics of “Optical Coherence Tomography” and “Low-Frequency Mechanics”. The discussion, moderated by the authors, took place at the 12{sup th} International Workshop on the Mechanics of Hearing held at Cape Sounio, Greece, in June 2014. All participants knew that the session was being recorded. In view of both the spontaneous nature of the discussion and the editing, however, this transcript may not represent the considered or final views of the participants, and may not represent a consensus of experts in the field. The reader is advised to consult additional independent publications.

High-energy sources at low radio frequency: the Murchison Widefield Array view of Fermi blazars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giroletti, M.; Massaro, F.; D’Abrusco, R.; Lico, R.; Burlon, D.

2016-01-01

Low-frequency radio arrays are opening a new window for the study of the sky, both to study new phenomena and to better characterize known source classes. Being flat-spectrum sources, blazars are so far poorly studied at low radio frequencies. In this paper, we characterize the spectral properties of the blazar population at low radio frequency, compare the radio and high-energy properties of the gamma-ray blazar population, and search for radio counterparts of unidentified gamma-ray sources. We cross-correlated the 6100 deg"2 Murchison Widefield Array Commissioning Survey catalogue with the Roma blazar catalogue, the third catalogue of active galactic nuclei detected by Fermi-LAT, and the unidentified members of the entire third catalogue of gamma-ray sources detected by Fermi-LAT. When available, we also added high-frequency radio data from the Australia Telescope 20 GHz catalogue. We find low-frequency counterparts for 186 out of 517 (36%) blazars, 79 out of 174 (45%) gamma-ray blazars, and 8 out of 73 (11%) gamma-ray blazar candidates. The mean low-frequency (120–180 MHz) blazar spectral index is (α_l_o_w) = 0.57 ± 0.02: blazar spectra are flatter than the rest of the population of low-frequency sources, but are steeper than at ~GHz frequencies. Low-frequency radio flux density and gamma-ray energy flux display a mildly significant and broadly scattered correlation. Ten unidentified gamma-ray sources have a (probably fortuitous) positional match with low radio frequency sources. Low-frequency radio astronomy provides important information about sources with a flat radio spectrum and high energy. However, the relatively low sensitivity of the present surveys still misses a significant fraction of these objects. Finally, upcoming deeper surveys, such as the GaLactic and Extragalactic All-Sky MWA (GLEAM) survey, will provide further insight into this population.

Discrete-time nonlinear damping backstepping control with observers for rejection of low and high frequency disturbances

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Wonhee; Chen, Xu; Lee, Youngwoo; Chung, Chung Choo; Tomizuka, Masayoshi

2018-05-01

A discrete-time backstepping control algorithm is proposed for reference tracking of systems affected by both broadband disturbances at low frequencies and narrow band disturbances at high frequencies. A discrete time DOB, which is constructed based on infinite impulse response filters is applied to compensate for narrow band disturbances at high frequencies. A discrete-time nonlinear damping backstepping controller with an augmented observer is proposed to track the desired output and to compensate for low frequency broadband disturbances along with a disturbance observer, for rejecting narrow band high frequency disturbances. This combination has the merit of simultaneously compensating both broadband disturbances at low frequencies and narrow band disturbances at high frequencies. The performance of the proposed method is validated via experiments.

An estimate of spherical impactor energy transfer for mechanical frequency up-conversion energy harvester

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. R. Corr

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Vibration energy harvesters, which use the impact mechanical frequency up-conversion technique, utilize an impactor, which gains kinetic energy from low frequency ambient environmental vibrations, to excite high frequency systems that efficiently convert mechanical energy to electrical energy. To take full advantage of the impact mechanical frequency up-conversion technique, it is prudent to understand the energy transfer from the low frequency excitations, to the impactor, and finally to the high frequency systems. In this work, the energy transfer from a spherical impactor to a multi degree of freedom spring / mass system, due to Hertzian impact, is investigated to gain insight on how best to design impact mechanical frequency up-conversion energy harvesters. Through this academic work, it is shown that the properties of the contact (or impact area, i.e., radius of curvature and material properties, only play a minor role in energy transfer and that the equivalent mass of the target system (i.e., the spring / mass system dictates the total amount of energy transferred during the impact. The novel approach of utilizing the well-known Hertzian impact methodology to gain an understanding of impact mechanical frequency up-conversion energy harvesters has made it clear that the impactor and the high frequency energy generating systems must be designed together as one system to ensure maximum energy transfer, leading to efficient ambient vibration energy harvesters.

Constraints on the source parameters of low-frequency earthquakes on the San Andreas Fault

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Amanda M.; Beroza, Gregory C.; Shelly, David R.

2016-01-01

Low-frequency earthquakes (LFEs) are small repeating earthquakes that occur in conjunction with deep slow slip. Like typical earthquakes, LFEs are thought to represent shear slip on crustal faults, but when compared to earthquakes of the same magnitude, LFEs are depleted in high-frequency content and have lower corner frequencies, implying longer duration. Here we exploit this difference to estimate the duration of LFEs on the deep San Andreas Fault (SAF). We find that the M ~ 1 LFEs have typical durations of ~0.2 s. Using the annual slip rate of the deep SAF and the average number of LFEs per year, we estimate average LFE slip rates of ~0.24 mm/s. When combined with the LFE magnitude, this number implies a stress drop of ~104 Pa, 2 to 3 orders of magnitude lower than ordinary earthquakes, and a rupture velocity of 0.7 km/s, 20% of the shear wave speed. Typical earthquakes are thought to have rupture velocities of ~80–90% of the shear wave speed. Together, the slow rupture velocity, low stress drops, and slow slip velocity explain why LFEs are depleted in high-frequency content relative to ordinary earthquakes and suggest that LFE sources represent areas capable of relatively higher slip speed in deep fault zones. Additionally, changes in rheology may not be required to explain both LFEs and slow slip; the same process that governs the slip speed during slow earthquakes may also limit the rupture velocity of LFEs.

Auditory filters at low-frequencies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Orellana, Carlos Andrés Jurado; Pedersen, Christian Sejer; Møller, Henrik

2009-01-01

-ear transfer function), the asymmetry of the auditory filter changed from steeper high-frequency slopes at 1000 Hz to steeper low-frequency slopes below 100 Hz. Increasing steepness at low-frequencies of the middle-ear high-pass filter is thought to cause this effect. The dynamic range of the auditory filter...... was found to steadily decrease with decreasing center frequency. Although the observed decrease in filter bandwidth with decreasing center frequency was only approximately monotonic, the preliminary data indicates the filter bandwidth does not stabilize around 100 Hz, e.g. it still decreases below...

Spatial variations in the frequency-magnitude distribution of earthquakes at Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat, West Indies

Science.gov (United States)

Power, J.A.; Wyss, M.; Latchman, J.L.

1998-01-01

The frequency-magnitude distribution of earthquakes measured by the b-value is determined as a function of space beneath Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat, from data recorded between August 1, 1995 and March 31, 1996. A volume of anomalously high b-values (b > 3.0) with a 1.5 km radius is imaged at depths of 0 and 1.5 km beneath English's Crater and Chance's Peak. This high b-value anomaly extends southwest to Gage's Soufriere. At depths greater than 2.5 km volumes of comparatively low b-values (b-1) are found beneath St. George's Hill, Windy Hill, and below 2.5 km depth and to the south of English's Crater. We speculate the depth of high b-value anomalies under volcanoes may be a function of silica content, modified by some additional factors, with the most siliceous having these volumes that are highly fractured or contain high pore pressure at the shallowest depths. Copyright 1998 by the American Geophysical Union.

Impact-driven, frequency up-converting coupled vibration energy harvesting device for low frequency operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu, Lei; Livermore, Carol

2011-01-01

This paper presents experiments and models of an energy harvesting device in which a low frequency resonator impacts a high frequency energy harvesting resonator, resulting in energy harvesting predominantly at the system's coupled vibration frequency. Analysis shows that a reduced mechanical damping ratio during coupled vibration enables increased electrical power generation as compared with conventional technology. Experiments demonstrate that the efficiency of electrical power transfer is significantly improved with the coupled vibration approach. An average power output of 0.43 mW is achieved under 0.4g acceleration at 8.2 Hz, corresponding to a power density of 25.5 µW cm −3 . The measured power and power density at the resonant frequency are respectively 4.8 times and 13 times the measured peak values for a conventional harvester created from a low frequency beam alone

Low Frequency Space Array

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dennison, B.; Weiler, K.W.; Johnston, K.J.

1987-01-01

The Low Frequency Space Array (LFSA) is a conceptual mission to survey the entire sky and to image individual sources at frequencies between 1.5 and 26 MHz, a frequency range over which the earth's ionosphere transmits poorly or not at all. With high resolution, high sensitivity observations, a new window will be opened in the electromagnetic spectrum for astronomical investigation. Also, extending observations down to such low frequencies will bring astronomy to the fundamental limit below which the galaxy becomes optically thick due to free-free absorption. A number of major scientific goals can be pursued with such a mission, including mapping galactic emission and absorption, studies of individual source spectra in a frequency range where a number of important processes may play a role, high resolution imaging of extended sources, localization of the impulsive emission from Jupiter, and a search for coherent emission processes. 19 references

A Sub-Hertz, Low-Frequency Vibration Isolation Platform

Science.gov (United States)

Ortiz, Gerardo, G.; Farr, William H.; Sannibale, Virginio

2011-01-01

struts ends are connected in pairs to the base and to the platform, forming an octahedron. The six struts provide the vibration isolation due to the properties of mechanical oscillators that behave as second-order lowpass filters for frequencies above the resonance. At high frequency, the ideal second-order low-pass filter response is spoiled by the distributed mass and the internal modes of membrane and of the platform with its payload.

Landslide scaling and magnitude-frequency distribution (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Stark, C. P.; Guzzetti, F.

2009-12-01

Landslide-driven erosion is controlled by the scale and frequency of slope failures and by the consequent fluxes of debris off the hillslopes. Here I focus on the magnitude-frequency part of the process and develop a theory of initial slope failure and debris mobilization that reproduces the heavy-tailed distributions (PDFs) observed for landslide source areas and volumes. Landslide rupture propagation is treated as a quasi-static, non-inertial process of simplified elastoplastic deformation with strain weakening; debris runout is not considered. The model tracks the stochastically evolving imbalance of frictional, cohesive, and body forces across a failing slope, and uses safety-factor concepts to convert the evolving imbalance into a series of incremental rupture growth or arrest probabilities. A single rupture is simulated with a sequence of weighted ``coin tosses'' with weights set by the growth probabilities. Slope failure treated in this stochastic way is a survival process that generates asymptotically power-law-tail PDFs of area and volume for rock and debris slides; predicted scaling exponents are consistent with analyses of landslide inventories. The primary control on the shape of the model PDFs is the relative importance of cohesion over friction in setting slope stability: the scaling of smaller, shallower failures, and the size of the most common landslide volumes, are the result of the low cohesion of soil and regolith, whereas the negative power-law tail scaling for larger failures is tied to the greater cohesion of bedrock. The debris budget may be dominated by small or large landslides depending on the scaling of both the PDF and of the depth-length relation. I will present new model results that confirm the hypothesis that depth-length scaling is linear. Model PDF of landslide volumes.

Low-threshold mechanoreceptors play a frequency-dependent dual role in subjective ratings of mechanical allodynia.

Science.gov (United States)

Löken, Line S; Duff, Eugene P; Tracey, Irene

2017-12-01

In the setting of injury, myelinated primary afferent fibers that normally signal light touch are thought to switch modality and instead signal pain. In the absence of injury, touch is perceived as more intense when firing rates of Aβ afferents increase. However, it is not known if varying the firing rates of Aβ afferents have any consequence to the perception of dynamic mechanical allodynia (DMA). We hypothesized that, in the setting of injury, the unpleasantness of DMA would be intensified as the firing rates of Aβ afferents increase. Using a stimulus-response protocol established in normal skin, where an increase in brush velocity results in an increase of Aβ afferent firing rates, we tested if brush velocity modulated the unpleasantness of capsaicin-induced DMA. We analyzed how changes in estimated low-threshold mechanoreceptor firing activity influenced perception and brain activity (functional MRI) of DMA. Brushing on normal skin was perceived as pleasant, but brushing on sensitized skin produced both painful and pleasant sensations. Surprisingly, there was an inverse relationship between Aβ firing rates and unpleasantness such that brush stimuli that produced low firing rates were most painful and those that elicited high firing rates were rated as pleasant. Concurrently to this, we found increased cortical activity in response to low Aβ firing rates in regions previously implicated in pain processing during brushing of sensitized skin, but not normal skin. We suggest that Aβ signals do not merely switch modality to signal pain during injury. Instead, they exert a high- and low-frequency-dependent dual role in the injured state, with respectively both pleasant and unpleasant consequences. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We suggest that Aβ signals do not simply switch modality to signal pain during injury but play a frequency-dependent and dual role in the injured state with both pleasant and unpleasant consequences. These results provide a framework to resolve the

ULF wave effects on high frequency signal propagation through the ionosphere

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. L. Waters

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Variations in the total electron content (TEC of the ionosphere alter the propagation characteristics of EM radiation for frequencies above a few megahertz (MHz. Spatial and temporal variations of the ionosphere TEC influence highly sensitive, ground based spatial measurements such as those used in radio astronomy and Global Positioning System (GPS applications. In this paper we estimate the magnitudes of the changes in TEC and the time delays of high frequency signals introduced by variations in the ionosphere electron density caused by the natural spectrum of ultra-low frequency (ULF wave activity that originates in near-Earth space. The time delays and associated phase shifts depend on the frequency, spatial structure and amplitude of the ULF waves.

A lightweight low-frequency sound insulation membrane-type acoustic metamaterial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kuan Lu

2016-02-01

Full Text Available A novel membrane-type acoustic metamaterial with a high sound transmission loss (STL at low frequencies (⩽500Hz was designed and the mechanisms were investigated by using negative mass density theory. This metamaterial’s structure is like a sandwich with a thin (thickness=0.25mm lightweight flexible rubber material within two layers of honeycomb cell plates. Negative mass density was demonstrated at frequencies below the first natural frequency, which results in the excellent low-frequency sound insulation. The effects of different structural parameters of the membrane on the sound-proofed performance at low frequencies were investigated by using finite element method (FEM. The numerical results show that, the STL can be modulated to higher value by changing the structural parameters, such as the membrane surface density, the unite cell film shape, and the membrane tension. The acoustic metamaterial proposed in this study could provide a potential application in the low-frequency noise insulation.

A lightweight low-frequency sound insulation membrane-type acoustic metamaterial

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Kuan; Wu, Jiu Hui; Guan, Dong; Gao, Nansha; Jing, Li

2016-02-01

A novel membrane-type acoustic metamaterial with a high sound transmission loss (STL) at low frequencies (⩽500Hz) was designed and the mechanisms were investigated by using negative mass density theory. This metamaterial's structure is like a sandwich with a thin (thickness=0.25mm) lightweight flexible rubber material within two layers of honeycomb cell plates. Negative mass density was demonstrated at frequencies below the first natural frequency, which results in the excellent low-frequency sound insulation. The effects of different structural parameters of the membrane on the sound-proofed performance at low frequencies were investigated by using finite element method (FEM). The numerical results show that, the STL can be modulated to higher value by changing the structural parameters, such as the membrane surface density, the unite cell film shape, and the membrane tension. The acoustic metamaterial proposed in this study could provide a potential application in the low-frequency noise insulation.

Mechanism of single-frequency operation of the hybrid-CO2 laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gondhalekar, A.; Heckenberg, N.R.; Holzhauer, E.

1975-01-01

The mechanism of a new method of obtaining high-power single-frequency pulses from a TEA-CO 2 laser is discussed. Measurements of the shape and monochromaticity of pulses from the hybrid laser which has both a TEA and a low-pressure gain section inside one resonator are presented. The mechanism of single-frequency operation of the hybrid laser is discussed with reference to numerical solutions of simplified rate equations. The low-pressure section provides gain only over a narrow range of frequencies so that a mode lying in that band-width builds up faster than neighboring modes to give a single-frequency pulse resembling in overall shape the normal TEA laser pulse. If the system is already lasing when the TEA discharge begins, the single-mode radiation already present rapidly grows to give a single-frequency pulse lacking a gain-switched peak. (U.S.)

Synthesis of High-Frequency Ground Motion Using Information Extracted from Low-Frequency Ground Motion

Science.gov (United States)

Iwaki, A.; Fujiwara, H.

2012-12-01

Broadband ground motion computations of scenario earthquakes are often based on hybrid methods that are the combinations of deterministic approach in lower frequency band and stochastic approach in higher frequency band. Typical computation methods for low-frequency and high-frequency (LF and HF, respectively) ground motions are the numerical simulations, such as finite-difference and finite-element methods based on three-dimensional velocity structure model, and the stochastic Green's function method, respectively. In such hybrid methods, LF and HF wave fields are generated through two different methods that are completely independent of each other, and are combined at the matching frequency. However, LF and HF wave fields are essentially not independent as long as they are from the same event. In this study, we focus on the relation among acceleration envelopes at different frequency bands, and attempt to synthesize HF ground motion using the information extracted from LF ground motion, aiming to propose a new method for broad-band strong motion prediction. Our study area is Kanto area, Japan. We use the K-NET and KiK-net surface acceleration data and compute RMS envelope at four frequency bands: 0.5-1.0 Hz, 1.0-2.0 Hz, 2.0-4.0 Hz, .0-8.0 Hz, and 8.0-16.0 Hz. Taking the ratio of the envelopes of adjacent bands, we find that the envelope ratios have stable shapes at each site. The empirical envelope-ratio characteristics are combined with low-frequency envelope of the target earthquake to synthesize HF ground motion. We have applied the method to M5-class earthquakes and a M7 target earthquake that occurred in the vicinity of Kanto area, and successfully reproduced the observed HF ground motion of the target earthquake. The method can be applied to a broad band ground motion simulation for a scenario earthquake by combining numerically-computed low-frequency (~1 Hz) ground motion with the empirical envelope ratio characteristics to generate broadband ground motion

A Precision-Positioning Method for a High-Acceleration Low-Load Mechanism Based on Optimal Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Inertial Energy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xin Chen

2015-09-01

Full Text Available High-speed and precision positioning are fundamental requirements for high-acceleration low-load mechanisms in integrated circuit (IC packaging equipment. In this paper, we derive the transient nonlinear dynamicresponse equations of high-acceleration mechanisms, which reveal that stiffness, frequency, damping, and driving frequency are the primary factors. Therefore, we propose a new structural optimization and velocity-planning method for the precision positioning of a high-acceleration mechanism based on optimal spatial and temporal distribution of inertial energy. For structural optimization, we first reviewed the commonly flexible multibody dynamic optimization using equivalent static loads method (ESLM, and then we selected the modified ESLM for optimal spatial distribution of inertial energy; hence, not only the stiffness but also the inertia and frequency of the real modal shapes are considered. For velocity planning, we developed a new velocity-planning method based on nonlinear dynamic-response optimization with varying motion conditions. Our method was verified on a high-acceleration die bonder. The amplitude of residual vibration could be decreased by more than 20% via structural optimization and the positioning time could be reduced by more than 40% via asymmetric variable velocity planning. This method provides an effective theoretical support for the precision positioning of high-acceleration low-load mechanisms.

Isoflurane Impairs Low-Frequency Feedback but Leaves High-Frequency Feedforward Connectivity Intact in the Fly Brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Dror; van Swinderen, Bruno; Tsuchiya, Naotsugu

2018-01-01

Hierarchically organized brains communicate through feedforward (FF) and feedback (FB) pathways. In mammals, FF and FB are mediated by higher and lower frequencies during wakefulness. FB is preferentially impaired by general anesthetics in multiple mammalian species. This suggests FB serves critical functions in waking brains. The brain of Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) is also hierarchically organized, but the presence of FB in these brains is not established. Here, we studied FB in the fly brain, by simultaneously recording local field potentials (LFPs) from low-order peripheral structures and higher-order central structures. We analyzed the data using Granger causality (GC), the first application of this analysis technique to recordings from the insect brain. Our analysis revealed that low frequencies (0.1-5 Hz) mediated FB from the center to the periphery, while higher frequencies (10-45 Hz) mediated FF in the opposite direction. Further, isoflurane anesthesia preferentially reduced FB. Our results imply that the spectral characteristics of FF and FB may be a signature of hierarchically organized brains that is conserved from insects to mammals. We speculate that general anesthetics may induce unresponsiveness across species by targeting the mechanisms that support FB.

Ionic screening effect on low-frequency drain current fluctuations in liquid-gated nanowire FETs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Ming-Pei; Vire, Eric; Montès, Laurent

2015-01-01

The ionic screening effect plays an important role in determining the fundamental surface properties within liquid–semiconductor interfaces. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of low-frequency drain current noise in liquid-gated nanowire (NW) field effect transistors (FETs) to obtain physical insight into the effect of ionic screening on low-frequency current fluctuation. When the NW FET was operated close to the gate voltage corresponding to the maximum transconductance, the magnitude of the low-frequency noise for the NW exposed to a low-ionic-strength buffer (0.001 M) was approximately 70% greater than that when exposed to a high-ionic-strength buffer (0.1 M). We propose a noise model, considering the charge coupling efficiency associated with the screening competition between the electrolyte buffer and the NW, to describe the ionic screening effect on the low-frequency drain current noise in liquid-gated NW FET systems. This report not only provides a physical understanding of the ionic screening effect behind the low-frequency current noise in liquid-gated FETs but also offers useful information for developing the technology of NW FETs with liquid-gated architectures for application in bioelectronics, nanosensors, and hybrid nanoelectronics. (paper)

Focal Mechanism of Semi-Volcanic Deep Low-Frequency Earthquakes in Eastern Shimane

Science.gov (United States)

Aso, N.; Ohta, K.; Ide, S.

2012-12-01

Many deep low-frequency earthquakes (LFEs) occur near the island arc Mohorovicic discontinuities and far from both active volcanoes and plate boundaries. They are quite similar to volcanic LFEs beneath active volcanoes, which infers some fluid movement in the source region, and we regard them as "semi-volcanic" LFEs [Aso et al., 2011; 2012 (submitted)]. Several previous studies determined the focal mechanisms of volcanic and semi-volcanic LFEs using a small portion of information of the waveforms. Although the estimated focal mechanisms are various, they may not necessary support the variety of the actual physical process, owing to the large determination error [e.g., Nishidomi and Takeo, 1996; Ohmi and Obara, 2002; Nakamichi et al., 2003]. Here we determine the focal mechanisms by waveform inversion for LFEs in eastern Shimane in western Japan, where many LFEs occurred in a quiet region. The locations are also close to the fault plane of the 2000 western Tottori earthquake of Mw6.6, and right beneath Yokota volcano, which is a Quaternary volcanic cluster. We estimated the focal mechanisms of semi-volcanic LFEs in eastern Shimane by moment tensor inversion. The data are velocity seismograms at five stations of Hi-net near the epicenters. For each seismogram, we extracted a 1.5-second time window beginning from 0.2 seconds before the arrivals of either P-wave in a vertical component or S-wave in a horizontal component. The arrival time of each phase is picked manually first, and then corrected to minimize the variance between observed and synthetic waveforms. The local site amplification is estimated using far-field body waves from deep intraslab earthquakes, and collected for each seismogram. The synthetic waveforms were calculated using the discrete wavenumber integration method developed by Takeo [1985] for a horizontally layered structure. For 38 LFEs, which are equal to or larger than M1.2 (JMA magnitude) and recorded at all five stations, the focal mechanisms

Effect of ultrasonic frequency on the mechanism of formic acid sono-lysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chave, T.; Nikitenko, S.I.; Navarro, N.M.; Pochon, P.; Bisel, I.

2011-01-01

The kinetics and mechanism of formic acid sono-chemical degradation were studied at ultrasonic frequencies of 20, 200, and 607 kHz under argon atmosphere. Total yield of HCOOH sono-chemical degradation increases approximately 6-8-fold when the frequency increased from 20 to 200 or to 607 kHz. At low ultrasonic frequencies, HCOOH degradation has been attributed to oxidation with OH . radicals from water sono-lysis and to the HCOOH decarboxylation occurring at the cavitation bubble-liquid interface. With high-frequency ultrasound, the sono-chemical reaction is also influenced by HCOOH dehydration. Whatever the ultrasonic frequency, the sono-lysis of HCOOH yielded H 2 and CO 2 in the gas phase as well as trace, amounts of oxalic acid and formaldehyde in the liquid phase. However, CO and CH 4 formations were only detected under high frequency ultrasound. The most striking difference between low frequency and high frequency ultrasound is that the sono-lysis of HCOOH at high ultrasonic frequencies initiates Fischer-Tropsch hydrogenation of carbon monoxide. (authors)

Oscillatory fluid flow induces the osteogenic lineage commitment of mesenchymal stem cells: The effect of shear stress magnitude, frequency, and duration.

Science.gov (United States)

Stavenschi, Elena; Labour, Marie-Noelle; Hoey, David A

2017-04-11

A potent regulator of bone anabolism is physical loading. However, it is currently unclear whether physical stimuli such as fluid shear within the marrow cavity is sufficient to directly drive the osteogenic lineage commitment of resident mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). Therefore, the objective of the study is to employ a systematic analysis of oscillatory fluid flow (OFF) parameters predicted to occur in vivo on early MSC osteogenic responses and late stage lineage commitment. MSCs were exposed to OFF of 1Pa, 2Pa and 5Pa magnitudes at frequencies of 0.5Hz, 1Hz and 2Hz for 1h, 2h and 4h of stimulation. Our findings demonstrate that OFF elicits a positive osteogenic response in MSCs in a shear stress magnitude, frequency, and duration dependent manner that is gene specific. Based on the mRNA expression of osteogenic markers Cox2, Runx2 and Opn after short-term fluid flow stimulation, we identified that a regime of 2Pa shear magnitude and 2Hz frequency induces the most robust and reliable upregulation in osteogenic gene expression. Furthermore, long-term mechanical stimulation utilising this regime, elicits a significant increase in collagen and mineral deposition when compared to static control demonstrating that mechanical stimuli predicted within the marrow is sufficient to directly drive osteogenesis. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Wavelet low- and high-frequency components as features for predicting stock prices with backpropagation neural networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salim Lahmiri

2014-07-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a forecasting model that integrates the discrete wavelet transform (DWT and backpropagation neural networks (BPNN for predicting financial time series. The presented model first uses the DWT to decompose the financial time series data. Then, the obtained approximation (low-frequency and detail (high-frequency components after decomposition of the original time series are used as input variables to forecast future stock prices. Indeed, while high-frequency components can capture discontinuities, ruptures and singularities in the original data, low-frequency components characterize the coarse structure of the data, to identify the long-term trends in the original data. As a result, high-frequency components act as a complementary part of low-frequency components. The model was applied to seven datasets. For all of the datasets, accuracy measures showed that the presented model outperforms a conventional model that uses only low-frequency components. In addition, the presented model outperforms both the well-known auto-regressive moving-average (ARMA model and the random walk (RW process.

Frequency-Specific Alternations in the Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuations in Chronic Tinnitus

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Yu-Chen eChen

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Tinnitus, a phantom ringing, buzzing or hissing sensation with potentially debilitating consequences, is thought to arise from aberrant spontaneous neural activity at one or more sites within the central nervous system; however, the location and specific features of these oscillations are poorly understood with respect to specific tinnitus features. Recent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI studies suggest that aberrant fluctuations in spontaneous low-frequency oscillations (LFO of the blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD signal may be an important factor in chronic tinnitus; however, the role that frequency-specific components of LFO play in subjective tinnitus remains unclear. A total of 39 chronic tinnitus patients and 41 well-matched healthy controls participated in the resting-state fMRI scans. The LFO amplitudes were investigated using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF and fractional ALFF (fALFF in two different frequency bands (slow-4: 0.027-0.073 Hz and slow-5: 0.01-0.027 Hz. We observed significant differences between tinnitus patients and normal controls in ALFF/fALFF in the two bands (slow-4 and slow-5 in several brain regions including the superior frontal gyrus (SFG, inferior frontal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, angular gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, and middle occipital gyrus. Across the entire subject pool, significant differences in ALFF/fALFF between the two bands were found in the midbrain, basal ganglia, hippocampus and cerebellum (Slow 4>Slow 5, and in the middle frontal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, posterior cingulate cortex, and precuneus (Slow 5>Slow 4. We also observed significant interaction between frequency bands and patient groups in the orbitofrontal gyrus. Furthermore, tinnitus distress was positively correlated with the magnitude of ALFF in right SFG and the magnitude of fALFF slow-4 band in left SFG, whereas tinnitus duration was positively correlated with the magnitude of ALFF in

The Low-Frequency Encoding Disadvantage: Word Frequency Affects Processing Demands

OpenAIRE

Diana, Rachel A.; Reder, Lynne M.

2006-01-01

Low-frequency words produce more hits and fewer false alarms than high-frequency words in a recognition task. The low-frequency hit rate advantage has sometimes been attributed to processes that operate during the recognition test (e.g., L. M. Reder et al., 2000). When tasks other than recognition, such as recall, cued recall, or associative recognition, are used, the effects seem to contradict a low-frequency advantage in memory. Four experiments are presented to support the claim that in ad...

Perovskite oxynitride LaTiOxNy thin films: Dielectric characterization in low and high frequencies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Y.; Ziani, A.; Le Paven-Thivet, C.; Benzerga, R.; Le Gendre, L.; Fasquelle, D.; Kassem, H.

2011-01-01

Lanthanum titanium oxynitride (LaTiO x N y ) thin films are studied with respect to their dielectric properties in low and high frequencies. Thin films are deposited by radio frequency magnetron sputtering on different substrates. Effects of nitrogen content and crystalline quality on dielectric properties are investigated. In low-frequency range, textured LaTiO x N y thin films deposited on conductive single crystal Nb–STO show a dielectric constant ε′ ≈ 140 with low losses tanδ = 0.012 at 100 kHz. For the LaTiO x N y polycrystalline films deposited on conductive silicon substrates with platinum (Pt/Ti/SiO 2 /Si), the tunability reached up to 57% for a weak electric field of 50 kV/cm. In high-frequency range, epitaxial LaTiO x N y films deposited on MgO substrate present a high dielectric constant with low losses (ε′ ≈ 170, tanδ = 0.011, 12 GHz).

Seismic performance evaluation of high natural frequency mechanical structure from the viewpoint of energy balance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minagawa, Keisuke; Fujita, Satoshi; Endo, Rokuro; Amemiya, Mitsuhiko

2009-01-01

In this study, vibration characteristics of mechanical structure having high natural frequency are investigated from the viewpoint of energy balance. Mechanical structures having high natural frequency in a nuclear power plant are generally designed statically and elastically. However it has been reported that fracture of ordinary piping is produced not by momentary large load but by cumulative fatigue damage. Therefore it is very important to grasp seismic performance dynamically by considering cyclic load. This paper deals with an investigation regarding seismic performance evaluation of high natural frequency mechanical structure. The energy balance equation that is one of valid methods for structural calculation is applied through the investigation. The main feature of the energy balance equation is that it explains accumulated information of motion. Therefore the energy balance equation is adequate for the investigation of the influence of cumulative load such as seismic response. In this paper, vibration experiment and simulation using sinusoidal waves and artificial seismic waves were examined in order to investigate relationship between natural frequency of structure and energy. As a result, we found that input energy decreases with an increase in the natural frequency. (author)

High-efficiency ventilated metamaterial absorber at low frequency

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Xiaoxiao; Au-Yeung, Ka Yan; Li, Xin; Roberts, Robert Christopher; Tian, Jingxuan; Hu, Chuandeng; Huang, Yingzhou; Wang, Shuxia; Yang, Zhiyu; Wen, Weijia

2018-03-01

We demonstrate a ventilated metamaterial absorber operating at low frequency (90%) has been achieved in both simulations and experiments. This high-efficiency absorption under the ventilation condition originates from the weak coupling of two identical split tube resonators constituting the absorber, which leads to the hybridization of the degenerate eigenmodes and breaks the absorption upper limit of 50% for conventional transmissive symmetric acoustic absorbers. The absorber can also be extended to an array and work in free space. The absorber should have potential applications in acoustic engineering where both noise reduction and ventilation are required.

Moment Magnitudes of Small to Moderate Size Regional Events from Coda in the Middle East

Science.gov (United States)

Gok, R.; Pasyanos, M. E.; Matzel, E.; Mayeda, K. M.; Walter, W. R.

2010-12-01

The uneven distribution of stations and heterogeneous structure of the Middle East makes it difficult to calculate reliable moment magnitudes in the region. Such magnitudes are important for event characterization, and for yield estimation applications. The complex structure of the lithosphere in the region causes significant variation in the recorded amplitude of body and surface waves that travel along different paths. These 2-D effects are most significant for small and moderate magnitude events, which are most observable at periods 4.5) at low frequencies ( < 0.5 Hz). But even using coda waves, high frequency spectra show considerable scatter. Next, we applied tomographic inversion to the geometrical spreading corrected coda amplitudes to calculate 2-D coda Q. Coda Q results agree well with direct Lg and tectonics of the region. We observe low Q in Anatolian and Iranian plateaus and high Q in Arabian Plate. Applying the 2-D correction reduced the inter-station scatter of the higher frequency spectra, allowing us to obtain reliable moment magnitude estimates for smaller events (Mw < 4.5).

Effects of low frequency electromagnetic field on the as-cast microstructures and mechanical properties of superhigh strength aluminum alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zuo Yubo; Cui Jianzhong; Dong Jie; Yu Fuxiao

2005-01-01

A new superhigh strength Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy was made by low frequency electromagnetic casting (LFEC) and conventional direct chill (DC) casting, respectively. The effects of low frequency electromagnetic field on the as-cast microstructures and mechanical properties were investigated. The results show that under the low frequency electromagnetic field (25 Hz, 32 mT), the microstructures of LFEC ingot from the border to the center on the cross section are all fine equiaxed or nearly equiaxed grains. The grains are much finer and more uniform than that of DC ingot. It was found that magnetic flux density plays an important role on the microstructure formation of LFEC ingots. With increasing the magnetic flux density, grains become finer and more uniform. In the range of experimental parameters, the optimum magnetic flux density for LFEC process is found to be 32 mT. The mechanical tests show that for this new superhigh strength Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy, the as-cast mechanical properties of LFEC ingot are much higher than that of DC ingot

Evaluating Annual Maximum and Partial Duration Series for Estimating Frequency of Small Magnitude Floods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fazlul Karim

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Understanding the nature of frequent floods is important for characterising channel morphology, riparian and aquatic habitat, and informing river restoration efforts. This paper presents results from an analysis on frequency estimates of low magnitude floods using the annual maximum and partial series data compared to actual flood series. Five frequency distribution models were fitted to data from 24 gauging stations in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR lagoon catchments in north-eastern Australia. Based on the goodness of fit test, Generalised Extreme Value, Generalised Pareto and Log Pearson Type 3 models were used to estimate flood frequencies across the study region. Results suggest frequency estimates based on a partial series are better, compared to an annual series, for small to medium floods, while both methods produce similar results for large floods. Although both methods converge at a higher recurrence interval, the convergence recurrence interval varies between catchments. Results also suggest frequency estimates vary slightly between two or more partial series, depending on flood threshold, and the differences are large for the catchments that experience less frequent floods. While a partial series produces better frequency estimates, it can underestimate or overestimate the frequency if the flood threshold differs largely compared to bankfull discharge. These results have significant implications in calculating the dependency of floodplain ecosystems on the frequency of flooding and their subsequent management.

Heart rate variability at limiting stationarity: evidence of neuro-cardiac control mechanisms operating at ultra-low frequencies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisher, A C; Groves, D; Eleuteri, A; Mesum, P; Patterson, D; Taggart, P

2014-01-01

This study considers the linkage of exogenously stimulated emotional stress with the neurogenic regulation of heart rate operating at very low frequencies. The objectives were three-fold: to consider the present evidence that such a linkage exists as a primary phenomenon; to compare the potential of a frequency-domain method and a time-domain method in revealing this phenomenon by characterizing heart rate variability (HRV) at frequencies of [0.0005…0.4] Hz and to design, implement and report a physiological experiment in which alternating periods of exposure to bland and high valence visual stimuli might reveal this phenomenon. A methodical challenge was to optimize the length of exposure to the stimulus such that subjects did not have time to habituate to stimuli, whilst acquiring sufficient data (heart beats) such that the ultra-low frequency (ULF) components of HRV could be described. With exposure times set to approximately 5 min, during which time the strength of the stimulus and the corresponding evoked response were considered stationary, the lowest HRV frequency component that could be characterized was 0.003 Hz. In trials with parametrically defined test data, the time-domain method based on the Ornstein–Uhlenbeck Gaussian process (OU-GP) was shown to be better than the frequency-domain method in describing the ULF components of the HRV. In an experimental cohort of 16 subjects, analysis using the OU-GP revealed evidence of cardiac regulatory mechanisms influenced by emotional valence operating in the bandwidth (ULF*) [0.002…0.01] Hz. (paper)

Digital system to monitor the natural frequency of mechanical resonators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brengartner, Tobias; Siegel, Michael; Urban, Martin; Monse, Benjamin; Frühauf, Dietmar

2013-01-01

Mechanical resonators are often used in process or condition monitoring. They are used for liquid-level limit detection or for viscosity and density sensing. Therefore, the resonator is preferably actuated at its natural frequency. In industrial applications, this is achieved by analogue closed resonant circuits. These circuits have been established because of the low energy consumption and low component costs. Due to the future trend of microprocessors, digital systems are now an interesting alternative and can achieve better results compared to analogue realizations. In this context, this paper presents a novel digital system for monitoring the natural frequency of mechanical resonators. The system is realized with newly developed algorithms and is based on a simple signal processing procedure with minimum computational cost. This allows the use of a low-power microcontroller, thus making the system interesting for industrial use. It is shown that the natural frequency can be measured in respect of high industrial requirements on reliability, fastness and accuracy, combined with the possibility of reducing energy consumption. (paper)

Slow high-frequency effects in mechanics: problems, solutions, potentials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Jon Juel

2005-01-01

– an apparent change in the stiffness associated with an equilibrium; Biasing – a tendency for a system to move towards a particular state which does not exist or is unstable without HFE; and Smoothening – a tendency for discontinuities to be apparently smeared out by HFE. The effects and a method for analyzing...... and compared: The Method of Direct Separation of Motions, the Method of Averaging, and the Method of Multiple Scales. The tutorial concludes by suggesting that more vibration experts, researchers and students should know about HFE effects, for the benefit not only of general vibration troubleshooting, but also......Strong high-frequency excitation (HFE) may change the ‘slow’ (i.e. effective or average) properties of mechanical systems, e.g. their stiffness, natural frequencies, equilibriums, equilibrium stability, and bifurcation paths. This tutorial describes three general HFE effects: Stiffening...

Slow high-frequency effects in mechanics: problems, solutions, potentials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Jon Juel

– an apparent change in the stiffness associated with an equilibrium; Biasing – a tendency for a system to move towards a particular state which does not exist or is unstable without HFE; and Smoothening – a tendency for discontinuities to be apparently smeared out by HFE. The effects and a method for analyzing...... and compared: The Method of Direct Separation of Motions, the Method of Averaging, and the Method of Multiple Scales. The tutorial concludes by suggesting that more vibration experts, researchers and students should know about HFE effects, for the benefit not only of general vibration troubleshooting, but also......Strong high-frequency excitation (HFE) may change the ‘slow’ (i.e. effective or average) properties of mechanical systems, e.g. their stiffness, natural frequencies, equilibriums, equilibrium stability, and bifurcation paths. This tutorial describes three general HFE effects: Stiffening...

N-Cadherin Maintains the Healthy Biology of Nucleus Pulposus Cells under High-Magnitude Compression.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhenyu; Leng, Jiali; Zhao, Yuguang; Yu, Dehai; Xu, Feng; Song, Qingxu; Qu, Zhigang; Zhuang, Xinming; Liu, Yi

2017-01-01

Mechanical load can regulate disc nucleus pulposus (NP) biology in terms of cell viability, matrix homeostasis and cell phenotype. N-cadherin (N-CDH) is a molecular marker of NP cells. This study investigated the role of N-CDH in maintaining NP cell phenotype, NP matrix synthesis and NP cell viability under high-magnitude compression. Rat NP cells seeded on scaffolds were perfusion-cultured using a self-developed perfusion bioreactor for 5 days. NP cell biology in terms of cell apoptosis, matrix biosynthesis and cell phenotype was studied after the cells were subjected to different compressive magnitudes (low- and high-magnitudes: 2% and 20% compressive deformation, respectively). Non-loaded NP cells were used as controls. Lentivirus-mediated N-CDH overexpression was used to further investigate the role of N-CDH under high-magnitude compression. The 20% deformation compression condition significantly decreased N-CDH expression compared with the 2% deformation compression and control conditions. Meanwhile, 20% deformation compression increased the number of apoptotic NP cells, up-regulated the expression of Bax and cleaved-caspase-3 and down-regulated the expression of Bcl-2, matrix macromolecules (aggrecan and collagen II) and NP cell markers (glypican-3, CAXII and keratin-19) compared with 2% deformation compression. Additionally, N-CDH overexpression attenuated the effects of 20% deformation compression on NP cell biology in relation to the designated parameters. N-CDH helps to restore the cell viability, matrix biosynthesis and cellular phenotype of NP cells under high-magnitude compression. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

Rapid estimation of earthquake magnitude from the arrival time of the peak high‐frequency amplitude

Science.gov (United States)

Noda, Shunta; Yamamoto, Shunroku; Ellsworth, William L.

2016-01-01

We propose a simple approach to measure earthquake magnitude M using the time difference (Top) between the body‐wave onset and the arrival time of the peak high‐frequency amplitude in an accelerogram. Measured in this manner, we find that Mw is proportional to 2logTop for earthquakes 5≤Mw≤7, which is the theoretical proportionality if Top is proportional to source dimension and stress drop is scale invariant. Using high‐frequency (>2  Hz) data, the root mean square (rms) residual between Mw and MTop(M estimated from Top) is approximately 0.5 magnitude units. The rms residuals of the high‐frequency data in passbands between 2 and 16 Hz are uniformly smaller than those obtained from the lower‐frequency data. Top depends weakly on epicentral distance, and this dependence can be ignored for distances earthquake produces a final magnitude estimate of M 9.0 at 120 s after the origin time. We conclude that Top of high‐frequency (>2  Hz) accelerograms has value in the context of earthquake early warning for extremely large events.

Evidence for Separate Contributions of High and Low Spatial Frequencies during Visual Word Recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Winsler, Kurt; Holcomb, Phillip J; Midgley, Katherine J; Grainger, Jonathan

2017-01-01

Previous studies have shown that different spatial frequency information processing streams interact during the recognition of visual stimuli. However, it is a matter of debate as to the contributions of high and low spatial frequency (HSF and LSF) information for visual word recognition. This study examined the role of different spatial frequencies in visual word recognition using event-related potential (ERP) masked priming. EEG was recorded from 32 scalp sites in 30 English-speaking adults in a go/no-go semantic categorization task. Stimuli were white characters on a neutral gray background. Targets were uppercase five letter words preceded by a forward-mask (#######) and a 50 ms lowercase prime. Primes were either the same word (repeated) or a different word (un-repeated) than the subsequent target and either contained only high, only low, or full spatial frequency information. Additionally within each condition, half of the prime-target pairs were high lexical frequency, and half were low. In the full spatial frequency condition, typical ERP masked priming effects were found with an attenuated N250 (sub-lexical) and N400 (lexical-semantic) for repeated compared to un-repeated primes. For HSF primes there was a weaker N250 effect which interacted with lexical frequency, a significant reversal of the effect around 300 ms, and an N400-like effect for only high lexical frequency word pairs. LSF primes did not produce any of the classic ERP repetition priming effects, however they did elicit a distinct early effect around 200 ms in the opposite direction of typical repetition effects. HSF information accounted for many of the masked repetition priming ERP effects and therefore suggests that HSFs are more crucial for word recognition. However, LSFs did produce their own pattern of priming effects indicating that larger scale information may still play a role in word recognition.

Communication Characteristics of Faulted Overhead High Voltage Power Lines at Low Radio Frequencies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nermin Suljanović

2017-11-01

Full Text Available This paper derives a model of high-voltage overhead power line under fault conditions at low radio frequencies. The derived model is essential for design of communication systems to reliably transfer information over high voltage power lines. In addition, the model can also benefit advanced systems for power-line fault detection and classification exploiting the phenomenon of changed conditions on faulted power line, resulting in change of low radio frequency signal propagation. The methodology used in the paper is based on the multiconductor system analysis and propagation of electromagnetic waves over the power lines. The model for the high voltage power line under normal operation is validated using actual measurements obtained on 400 kV power line. The proposed model of faulted power lines extends the validated power-line model under normal operation. Simulation results are provided for typical power line faults and typical fault locations. Results clearly indicate sensitivity of power-line frequency response on different fault types.

Autonomic nervous system activity in purebred Arabian horses evaluated according to the low frequency and high frequency spectrum versus racing performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iwona Janczarek

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Emotional excitability influences horses’ performance in sports and races. The aim of the study was to analyse whether the balance of the autonomic system which can occur when sympathetic system activity is at various levels might impact the horses’ racing performance. The study was carried out on 67 purebred Arabian horses trained for racing. The following indices were analysed: low frequency (LF, high frequency (HF, and the ratio of spectrum power at low frequencies to high frequencies (LF/HF. The autonomic nervous system activity was measured × 3 during the training season, at three-month intervals. Each examination included a 30-min measurement at rest and after a training session. The racing performance indices in these horses were also analysed. Better racing results were found in horses with enhanced LF/HF. The worst racing results were determined in horses with low LF.

Exfoliated BN shell-based high-frequency magnetic core-shell materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wei; Patel, Ketan; Ren, Shenqiang

2017-09-14

The miniaturization of electric machines demands high frequency magnetic materials with large magnetic-flux density and low energy loss to achieve a decreased dimension of high rotational speed motors. Herein, we report a solution-processed high frequency magnetic composite (containing a nanometal FeCo core and a boron nitride (BN) shell) that simultaneously exhibits high electrical resistivity and magnetic permeability. The frequency dependent complex initial permeability and the mechanical robustness of nanocomposites are intensely dependent on the content of BN insulating phase. The results shown here suggest that insulating magnetic nanocomposites have potential for application in next-generation high-frequency electric machines with large electrical resistivity and permeability.

Solving ground eigenvalue and eigenfunction of spheroidal wave equation at low frequency by supersymmetric quantum mechanics method

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Tang Wen-Lin; Tian Gui-Hua

2011-01-01

The spheroidal wave functions are found to have extensive applications in many branches of physics and mathematics. We use the perturbation method in supersymmetric quantum mechanics to obtain the analytic ground eigenvalue and the ground eigenfunction of the angular spheroidal wave equation at low frequency in a series form. Using this approach, the numerical determinations of the ground eigenvalue and the ground eigenfunction for small complex frequencies are also obtained.

A Review of Low Frequency Electromagnetic Wave Phenomena Related to Tropospheric-Ionospheric Coupling Mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Simoes, Fernando; Pfaff, Robert; Berthelier, Jean-Jacques; Klenzing, Jeffrey

2012-01-01

Investigation of coupling mechanisms between the troposphere and the ionosphere requires a multidisciplinary approach involving several branches of atmospheric sciences, from meteorology, atmospheric chemistry, and fulminology to aeronomy, plasma physics, and space weather. In this work, we review low frequency electromagnetic wave propagation in the Earth-ionosphere cavity from a troposphere-ionosphere coupling perspective. We discuss electromagnetic wave generation, propagation, and resonance phenomena, considering atmospheric, ionospheric and magnetospheric sources, from lightning and transient luminous events at low altitude to Alfven waves and particle precipitation related to solar and magnetospheric processes. We review in situ ionospheric processes as well as surface and space weather phenomena that drive troposphere-ionosphere dynamics. Effects of aerosols, water vapor distribution, thermodynamic parameters, and cloud charge separation and electrification processes on atmospheric electricity and electromagnetic waves are reviewed. We also briefly revisit ionospheric irregularities such as spread-F and explosive spread-F, sporadic-E, traveling ionospheric disturbances, Trimpi effect, and hiss and plasma turbulence. Regarding the role of the lower boundary of the cavity, we review transient surface phenomena, including seismic activity, earthquakes, volcanic processes and dust electrification. The role of surface and atmospheric gravity waves in ionospheric dynamics is also briefly addressed. We summarize analytical and numerical tools and techniques to model low frequency electromagnetic wave propagation and solving inverse problems and summarize in a final section a few challenging subjects that are important for a better understanding of tropospheric-ionospheric coupling mechanisms.

The Neuroprotective Mechanism of Low-Frequency rTMS on Nigral Dopaminergic Neurons of Parkinson's Disease Model Mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Qiaoyun; Wang, Yanyong; Gu, Ping; Shao, Rusheng; Zhao, Li; Liu, Xiqi; Wang, Zhanqiang; Wang, Mingwei

2015-01-01

Background. Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disease in elder people, pathophysiologic basis of which is the severe deficiency of dopamine in the striatum. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of low-frequency rTMS on Parkinson's disease in model mice. Methods. The effects of low-frequency rTMS on the motor function, cortex excitability, neurochemistry, and neurohistopathology of MPTP-induced Parkinson's disease mice were investigated through behavioral detection, electrophysiologic technique, high performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detection, immunohistochemical staining, and western blot. Results. Low-frequency rTMS could improve the motor coordination impairment of Parkinson's disease mice: the resting motor threshold significantly decreased in the Parkinson's disease mice; the degeneration of nigral dopaminergic neuron and the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase were significantly improved by low-frequency rTMS; moreover, the expressions of brain derived neurotrophic factor and glial cell line derived neurotrophic factor were also improved by low-frequency rTMS. Conclusions. Low-frequency rTMS had a neuroprotective effect on the nigral dopaminergic neuron which might be due to the improved expressions of brain derived neurotrophic factor and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor. The present study provided a theoretical basis for the application of low-frequency rTMS in the clinical treatment and recovery of Parkinson's disease.

An Emperical Analysis of Co-Movements in High- and Low-Frequency Metrics for Financial Market Efficiency

NARCIS (Netherlands)

D.M. Rösch (Dominik); A. Subrahmanyam (Avanidhar); M.A. van Dijk (Mathijs)

2014-01-01

textabstractSeveral high- and low-frequency metrics for financial market efficiency have been proposed in distinct lines of research. We explore the joint dynamics of these metrics. High-frequency metrics co-move across individual stocks, and also co-move with lower-frequency metrics based on

Mechanisms and factors that influence high frequency retroviral recombination

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Delviks-Frankenberry, Krista; Galli, Andrea; Nikolaitchik, Olga

2011-01-01

With constantly changing environmental selection pressures, retroviruses rely upon recombination to reassort polymorphisms in their genomes and increase genetic diversity, which improves the chances for the survival of their population. Recombination occurs during DNA synthesis, whereby reverse...... transcriptase undergoes template switching events between the two copackaged RNAs, resulting in a viral recombinant with portions of the genetic information from each parental RNA. This review summarizes our current understanding of the factors and mechanisms influencing retroviral recombination, fidelity...... of the recombination process, and evaluates the subsequent viral diversity and fitness of the progeny recombinant. Specifically, the high mutation rates and high recombination frequencies of HIV-1 will be analyzed for their roles in influencing HIV-1 global diversity, as well as HIV-1 diagnosis, drug treatment...

Spatially distributed patterns of oscillatory coupling between high-frequency amplitudes and low-frequency phases in human iEEG

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Maris, Eric; van Vugt, Marieke; Kahana, Michael

2011-01-01

Spatially distributed coherent oscillations provide temporal windows of excitability that allow for interactions between distinct neuronal groups. It has been hypothesized that this mechanism for neuronal communication is realized by bursts of high-frequency oscillations that are phase-coupled to a

Numerical simulation of seismic low-frequency shadows and its application%地震低频伴影的数值模拟与应用

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

贺振华; 熊晓军; 边立恩

2008-01-01

Strong low-frequency energy beneath a hydrocarbon reservoir is called a seismic low-frequency shadow and can be used as a hydrocarbon indicator (Taner et al., 1979) but the physical mechanism of the observed low-frequency shadow is still unclear. To study the mechanism, we performed seismic numerical simulation of geological models with a hydrocarbon-bearing zone using the 2-D diffusive-viscous wave equation which can effectively model the characteristics of velocity dispersion and transform the seismic data centered in a target layer slice within a time window to the time-frequency domain by using time-frequency signal analysis and sort the frequency gathers to common frequency cubes. Then, we observe the characteristics of the seismic low-frequency shadow in the common frequency cubes. The numerical simulations reveal that the main mechanism of seismic low-frequency shadows is attributed to high attenuation of the medium to high seismic frequency components caused by absorption in the hydrocarbon-filled reservoir. Results from a practical example of seismic low-frequency shadows show that it is possible to identify the reservoir by the low-frequency shadow with high S/N seismic data.

A high and low noise model for strong motion accelerometers

Science.gov (United States)

Clinton, J. F.; Cauzzi, C.; Olivieri, M.

2010-12-01

We present reference noise models for high-quality strong motion accelerometer installations. We use continuous accelerometer data acquired by the Swiss Seismological Service (SED) since 2006 and other international high-quality accelerometer network data to derive very broadband (50Hz-100s) high and low noise models. The proposed noise models are compared to the Peterson (1993) low and high noise models designed for broadband seismometers; the datalogger self-noise; background noise levels at existing Swiss strong motion stations; and typical earthquake signals recorded in Switzerland and worldwide. The standard strong motion station operated by the SED consists of a Kinemetrics Episensor (2g clip level; flat acceleration response from 200 Hz to DC; insulated sensor / datalogger systems placed in vault quality sites. At all frequencies, there is at least one order of magnitude between the ALNM and the AHNM; at high frequencies (> 1Hz) this extends to 2 orders of magnitude. This study provides remarkable confirmation of the capability of modern strong motion accelerometers to record low-amplitude ground motions with seismic observation quality. In particular, an accelerometric station operating at the ALNM is capable of recording the full spectrum of near source earthquakes, out to 100 km, down to M2. Of particular interest for the SED, this study provides acceptable noise limits for candidate sites for the on-going Strong Motion Network modernisation.

Magnitude and Correlates of Low Birth Weight at Term in Rural Wardha, Central India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kumar V

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Birth weight is one of the most important determinant of the neonatal and infant survival. The goal of reducing low birth weight incidence by at least one third between 2000 and 2010 was one of the major goals in ‘A World Fit for Children’. The prevention of low birth weight is a public health priority, particularly in developing countries with high magnitude. Knowledge regarding magnitude and correlates help prevent the condition. Hence, the present study was carried out to study the magnitude and the correlates of low birth weight. Methodology: Two hundred and six newborn babies were recruited on a birth cohort from two Primary Health Centres (PHC of Wardha district to study growth in first year of life. Here, we present the baseline analysis of 172 children who were born full term to study the correlates of low birth weight babies born full term. The children were recruited within first week of their birth. Data was collected on socio-demographic profile, birth history, and maternal characteristics. Proportion of low birth weight was expressed in percentage along with 95% confidence interval. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to study the correlates. Findings are expressed in odds ratios with their 95% confidence intervals. Results: The magnitude of low birth weight at term was found to be 33.1% (95% CI: 26.4%-40.4%. On univariate analysis, significant correlates of low birth weight were consumption of less than 50 iron-folic acid tables and being born to than mother. On multivariate analysis, the significant correlates were female sex of child (OR=2.856, being born to thin mother (OR=5.320, consumption of less than 50 tablets (OR=4.648, and complications of pregnancy (OR=2.917. Conclusions: The magnitude of low birth weight is very high and modifiable correlates of low birth weight are nutritional status of mother, lower consumption of IFA tablets and complications of pregnancy.

Assessment of dynamic mechanical properties of the respiratory system during high-frequency oscillatory ventilation*.

Science.gov (United States)

Dellacà, Raffaele L; Zannin, Emanuela; Ventura, Maria L; Sancini, Giulio; Pedotti, Antonio; Tagliabue, Paolo; Miserocchi, Giuseppe

2013-11-01

1) To investigate the possibility of estimating respiratory system impedance (Zrs, forced oscillation technique) by using high-amplitude pressure oscillations delivered during high-frequency oscillatory ventilation; 2) to characterize the relationship between Zrs and continuous distending pressure during an increasing/decreasing continuous distending pressure trial; 3) to evaluate how the optimal continuous distending pressure identified by Zrs relates to the point of maximal curvature of the deflation limb of the quasi-static pressure-volume curve. Prospective laboratory animal investigation. Experimental medicine laboratory. Eight New Zealand rabbits. The rabbits were ventilated with high-frequency oscillatory ventilation. Zrs was measured while continuous distending pressure was increased and decreased between 2 and 26 cm H2O in 1-minute steps of 4 cm H2O. At each step, a low-amplitude (6 cm H2O) sinusoidal signal was alternated with a high-amplitude (18 cm H2O) asymmetric high-frequency oscillatory ventilation square pressure waveform. Pressure-volume curves were determined at the end of the continuous distending pressure trial. All measurements were repeated after bronchoalveolar lavage. Zrs was estimated from flow and pressure measured at the inlet of the tracheal tube and expressed as resistance (Rrs) and reactance (Xrs). Linear correlation between the values, measured by applying the small-amplitude sinusoidal signal and the ventilator waveform, was good for Xrs (r = 0.95 ± 0.04) but not for Rrs (r = 0.60 ± 0.34). Following lavage, the Xrs-continuous distending pressure curves presented a maximum on the deflation limb, identifying an optimal continuous distending pressure that was, on average, 1.1 ± 1.7 cm H2O below the point of maximal curvature of the deflation limb of the pressure-volume curves. Xrs can be accurately measured during high-frequency oscillatory ventilation without interrupting ventilation and/or connecting additional devices. An optimal

High and low frequency stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus induce prolonged changes in subthalamic and globus pallidus neurons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hagar eLavian

2013-12-01

Full Text Available High frequency stimulation (HFS of the subthalamic nucleus (STN is widely used to treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease but the mechanism of this therapy is unclear. Using a rat brain slice preparation maintaining the connectivity between the STN and one of its target nuclei, the globus pallidus (GP, we investigated the effects of high and low frequency stimulation (HFS 100 Hz, LFS 10 Hz on activity of single neurons in the STN and GP. Both HFS and LFS caused changes in firing frequency and pattern of subthalamic and pallidal neurons. These changes were of synaptic origin, as they were abolished by glutamate and GABA antagonists. Both HFS and LFS also induced a long-lasting reduction in firing frequency in STN neurons possibly contending a direct causal link between HFS and the outcome DBS. In the GP both HFS and LFS induced either a long-lasting depression, or less frequently, a long-lasting excitation. Thus, in addition to the intrinsic activation of the stimulated neurons, long-lasting stimulation of the STN may trigger prolonged biochemical processes.

Frequency and magnitude of intermittent hypoxia modulate endothelial wound healing in a cell culture model of sleep apnea.

Science.gov (United States)

Campillo, Noelia; Falcones, Bryan; Montserrat, Josep M; Gozal, David; Obeso, Ana; Gallego-Martin, Teresa; Navajas, Daniel; Almendros, Isaac; Farré, Ramon

2017-11-01

Intermittent hypoxia (IH) has been implicated in the cardiovascular consequences of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, the lack of suitable experimental systems has precluded assessment as to whether IH is detrimental, protective, or both for the endothelium. The aim of the work was to determine the effects of frequency and amplitude of IH oxygenation swings on aortic endothelial wound healing. Monolayers of human primary endothelial cells were wounded and subjected to constant oxygenation (1%, 4%, 13%, or 20% O 2 ) or IH at different frequencies (0.6, 6, or 60 cycles/h) and magnitude ranges (13-4% O 2 or 20-1% O 2 ), using a novel well-controlled system, with wound healing being measured after 24 h. Cell monolayer repair was similar at 20% O 2 and 13% O 2 , but was considerably increased (approximately twofold) in constant hypoxia at 4% O 2 The magnitude and frequency of IH considerably modulated wound healing. Cycles ranging 13-4% O 2 at the lowest frequency (0.6 cycles/h) accelerated endothelial wound healing by 102%. However, for IH exposures consisting of 20% to 1% O 2 oscillations, wound closure was reduced compared with oscillation in the 13-4% range (by 74% and 44% at 6 cycles/h and 0.6 cycles/h, respectively). High-frequency IH patterns simulating severe OSA (60 cycles/h) did not significantly modify endothelial wound closure, regardless of the oxygenation cycle amplitude. In conclusion, the frequency and magnitude of hypoxia cycling in IH markedly alter wound healing responses and emerge as key factors determining how cells will respond in OSA. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Intermittent hypoxia (IH) induces cardiovascular consequences in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients. However, the vast array of frequencies and severities of IH previously employed in OSA-related experimental studies has led to controversial results on the effects of IH. By employing an optimized IH experimental system here, we provide evidence that the frequency and magnitude of IH

Phase measurements of very-low-frequency signals from the magnetosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paschal, E.V.

1988-01-01

The usual methods of spectrum analysis applied to analog tape recordings of very low frequency (VLF) signals extract only magnitude information and ignore phase information. A digital signal-processing system using a recorded constant-frequency pilot tone was developed that can correct tape errors due to wow and flutter, and reconstruct the signal phases. Frequency shifts are corrected during analysis by interpolating between spectral points in the windowed Fourier transform, and the output phases of the synthesized filters are corrected for timing errors. Having signal-component phases as well as magnitudes doubles the available information. Whistler-mode signals from the VLF transmitter at Siple Station, Antarctica, were analyzed as received at Roberval, Quebec. The phase of a non-growing signal is found to give a less-noisy measure of duct motion than Doppler frequency shift, with improved time resolution. Correlations are seen between variations in the whistler-mode phase delay and the earth's magnetic field component D. They are interpreted as Pc 2 micropulsation transients, short compared to the length of the field line, which propagate from equator to ground as Alfven waves

[Reparative Osteogenesis and Angiogenesis in Low Intensity Electromagnetic Radiation of Ultra-High Frequency].

Science.gov (United States)

Iryanov, Y M; Kiryanov, N A

2015-01-01

Non-drug correction of reparative bone tissue regeneration in different pathological states - one of the most actual problems of modern medicine. Our aim was to conduct morphological analysis of the influence of electromagnetic radiation of ultra-high frequency and low intensity on reparative osteogenesis and angiogenesis in fracture treatment under transosseous osteosynthesis. A controlled nonrandomized study was carried out. In the experiment conducted on rats we modeled tibial fracture with reposition and fixation of the bone fragments both in control and experimental groups. In the animals of the experimental group the fracture zone was exposed to low intensity electromagnetic radiation of ultra-high frequency. Exposure simulation was performed in the control group. The operated bones were examined using radiography, light and electronic microscopy, X-ray electronic probe microanalysis. It has been established that electromagnetic radiation of ultra-high frequency sessions in fracture treatment stimulate secretory activity and degranulation of mast cells, produce microcirculatory bed vascular permeability increase, endotheliocyte migration phenotype expression, provide endovascular endothelial outgrowth formation, activate reparative osteogenesis and angiogenesis while fracture reparation becomes the one of the primary type. The full periosteal, intermediary and intraosteal bone union was defined in 28 days. Among the therapeutic benefits of electromagnetic radiation of ultra-high frequency in fracture treatment we can detect mast cell secretorv activity stimulation and endovascular anziozenesis activation.

Low-frequency oscillations at high density in JFT-2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maeno, Masaki; Katagiri, Masaki; Suzuki, Norio; Fujisawa, Noboru

1977-12-01

Low-frequency oscillations in a plasma were measured with magnetic probes and Si surface-barrier detectors, and behaviour of the high density plasmas was studied. The plasma current profile in the phase of decreasing density after the interruption of gas input is more peaked than during gas input. The introduction of hydrogen during a discharge results in a reduction of the impurities flux. The increase of density by fast gas input is limited with a negative voltage spike. Immediately before a negative voltage spike, oscillations of m=1,2 grow, leading to the spike. (auth.)

Low frequency electric and magnetic fields - the topic of cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thommesen, G.

1988-01-01

A review is made of the literature about the biological effects of low frequency electric and magnetic fields. It is still an unsettled question whether extremely low frequency magnetic fields may increase the incidence of cancer. Experimental data arise mainly from exposure to field strengths or frequencies seldom or never encountered by people. The results give no clear explanation to the increase in cancer incidence reported in epidemiological works. The spectre of possible mechanisms imply that no simple dose/effect relationship should be expected, as conflicting mechanisms may dominate at different exposure levels. There is therefore no basis at present for giving numerical value to cancer risk from exposure to low frequency electric or magnetic fields

Mechanisms and Factors that Influence High Frequency Retroviral Recombination

Science.gov (United States)

Delviks-Frankenberry, Krista; Galli, Andrea; Nikolaitchik, Olga; Mens, Helene; Pathak, Vinay K.; Hu, Wei-Shau

2011-01-01

With constantly changing environmental selection pressures, retroviruses rely upon recombination to reassort polymorphisms in their genomes and increase genetic diversity, which improves the chances for the survival of their population. Recombination occurs during DNA synthesis, whereby reverse transcriptase undergoes template switching events between the two copackaged RNAs, resulting in a viral recombinant with portions of the genetic information from each parental RNA. This review summarizes our current understanding of the factors and mechanisms influencing retroviral recombination, fidelity of the recombination process, and evaluates the subsequent viral diversity and fitness of the progeny recombinant. Specifically, the high mutation rates and high recombination frequencies of HIV-1 will be analyzed for their roles in influencing HIV-1 global diversity, as well as HIV-1 diagnosis, drug treatment, and vaccine development. PMID:21994801

MONITORING HIGH-FREQUENCY OCEAN SIGNALS USING LOW-COST GNSS/IMU BUOYS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y.-L. Huang

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In oceans there are different ocean signals covering the multi-frequencies including tsunami, meteotsunami, storm surge, as sea level change, and currents. These signals have the direct and significant impact on the economy and life of human-beings. Therefore, measuring ocean signals accurately becomes more and more important and necessary. Nowadays, there are many techniques and methods commonly used for monitoring oceans, but each has its limitation. For example, tide gauges only measure sea level relative to benchmarks and are disturbed unevenly, and satellite altimeter measurements are not continuous and inaccurate near coastal oceans. In addition, high-frequency ocean signals such as tsunami and meteotsunami cannot be sufficiently detected by 6-minutes tide gauge measurements or 10-day sampled altimetry data. Moreover, traditional accelerometer buoy is heavy, expensive and the low-frequency noise caused by the instrument is unavoidable. In this study, a small, low-cost and self-assembly autonomous Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU that independently collects continuous acceleration and angular velocity data is mounted on a GNSS buoy to provide the positions and tilts of the moving buoy. The main idea is to integrate the Differential GNSS (DGNSS or Precise Point Positioning (PPP solutions with IMU data, and then evaluate the performance by comparing with in situ tide gauges. The validation experiments conducted in the NCKU Tainan Hydraulics Laboratory showed that GNSS and IMU both can detect the simulated regular wave frequency and height, and the field experiments in the Anping Harbor, Tainan, Taiwan showed that the low-cost GNSS buoy has an excellent ability to observe significant wave heights in amplitude and frequency.

A Novel Tunable Multi-Frequency Hybrid Vibration Energy Harvester Using Piezoelectric and Electromagnetic Conversion Mechanisms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhenlong Xu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a novel tunable multi-frequency hybrid energy harvester (HEH. It consists of a piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH and an electromagnetic energy harvester (EMEH, which are coupled with magnetic interaction. An electromechanical coupling model was developed and numerically simulated. The effects of magnetic force, mass ratio, stiffness ratio, and mechanical damping ratios on the output power were investigated. A prototype was fabricated and characterized by experiments. The measured first peak power increases by 16.7% and 833.3% compared with that of the multi-frequency EMEH and the multi-frequency PEH, respectively. It is 2.36 times more than the combined output power of the linear PEH and linear EMEH at 22.6 Hz. The half-power bandwidth for the first peak power is also broadened. Numerical results agree well with the experimental data. It is indicated that magnetic interaction can tune the resonant frequencies. Both magnetic coupling configuration and hybrid conversion mechanism contribute to enhancing the output power and widening the operation bandwidth. The magnitude and direction of magnetic force have significant effects on the performance of the HEH. This proposed HEH is an effective approach to improve the generating performance of the micro-scale energy harvesting devices in low-frequency range.

Frequency Up-Converted Low Frequency Vibration Energy Harvester Using Trampoline Effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ju, S; Chae, S H; Choi, Y; Jun, S; Park, S M; Lee, S; Ji, C-H; Lee, H W

2013-01-01

This paper presents a non-resonant vibration energy harvester based on magnetoelectric transduction mechanism and mechanical frequency up-conversion using trampoline effect. The harvester utilizes a freely movable spherical permanent magnet which bounces off the aluminum springs integrated at both ends of the cavity, achieving frequency up-conversion from low frequency input vibration. Moreover, bonding method of magnetoelectric laminate composite has been optimized to provide higher strain to piezoelectric material and thus obtain a higher output voltage. A proof-of-concept energy harvesting device has been fabricated and tested. Maximum open-circuit voltage of 11.2V has been obtained and output power of 0.57μW has been achieved for a 50kΩ load, when the fabricated energy harvester was hand-shaken

Frequency Up-Converted Low Frequency Vibration Energy Harvester Using Trampoline Effect

Science.gov (United States)

Ju, S.; Chae, S. H.; Choi, Y.; Jun, S.; Park, S. M.; Lee, S.; Lee, H. W.; Ji, C.-H.

2013-12-01

This paper presents a non-resonant vibration energy harvester based on magnetoelectric transduction mechanism and mechanical frequency up-conversion using trampoline effect. The harvester utilizes a freely movable spherical permanent magnet which bounces off the aluminum springs integrated at both ends of the cavity, achieving frequency up-conversion from low frequency input vibration. Moreover, bonding method of magnetoelectric laminate composite has been optimized to provide higher strain to piezoelectric material and thus obtain a higher output voltage. A proof-of-concept energy harvesting device has been fabricated and tested. Maximum open-circuit voltage of 11.2V has been obtained and output power of 0.57μW has been achieved for a 50kΩ load, when the fabricated energy harvester was hand-shaken.

Effect of high-frequency excitation on natural frequencies of spinning discs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Morten Hartvig

2000-01-01

The effect of high-frequency, non-resonant parametric excitation on the low-frequency response of spinning discs is considered. The parametric excitation is obtained through a non-constant rotation speed, where the frequency of the pulsating overlay is much higher than the lowest natural frequenc......The effect of high-frequency, non-resonant parametric excitation on the low-frequency response of spinning discs is considered. The parametric excitation is obtained through a non-constant rotation speed, where the frequency of the pulsating overlay is much higher than the lowest natural...

Modeling of Low Frequency MHD Induced Beam Ion Transport In NSTX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gorelenkov, N.N.; Medley, S.S.

2004-01-01

Beam ion transport in the presence of low frequency MHD activity in National Spherical Tokamak Experiment (NSTX) plasma is modeled numerically and analyzed theoretically in order to understand basic underlying physical mechanisms responsible for the observed fast ion redistribution and losses. Numerical modeling of the beam ions flux into the NPA in NSTX shows that after the onset of low frequency MHD activity high energy part of beam ion distribution, E b > 40keV, is redistributed radially due to stochastic diffusion. Such diffusion is caused by high order harmonics of the transit frequency resonance overlap in the phase space. Large drift orbit radial width induces such high order resonances. Characteristic confinement time is deduced from the measured NPA energy spectrum and is typically ∼ 4msec. Considered MHD activity may induce losses on the order of 10% at the internal magnetic field perturbation (delta)B/B = Ο (10 -3 ), which is comparable to the prompt orbit losses

Flow motion waves with high and low frequency in severe ischaemia before and after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffmann, U; Schneider, E; Bollinger, A

1990-09-01

STUDY OF OBJECTIVE: The aim was to evaluate skin flux and prevalence of low and high frequency flow motion waves in patients with severe ischaemia due to peripheral arterial occlusive disease before and after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) with and without local thrombolysis. Flow motion was recorded by the laser Doppler technique at the dorsum of the foot before, one day, and one month after PTA. The results were separately analysed in patients with successful and unsuccessful treatment. 18 patients with rest pain or incipient gangrene were included. Mean pretreatment systolic ankle pressure was 55.8(SD 25.5) mm Hg, and mean transcutaneous PO2 at 43 degrees C was 5.2(9.4) mm Hg. Arteriography revealed relevant stenoses or occlusions of the femoropopliteal and calf arteries. Before treatment two patterns of flow motion with characteristic frequency ranges were observed at the foot dorsum and at a probe temperature of 32 degrees C: low frequency (LF) waves with a mean frequency of 2.2(0.5) cycles.min-1 and a mean amplitude of 0.73(0.42) arbitrary units (AU) and high frequency (HF) waves with a mean frequency of 22.6(4.2) cycles.min-1 and a mean amplitude of 0.39(0.33) AU. PTA was successful in 11 of the 18 patients. After successful treatment, prevalence of HF waves decreased from 10/11 to 4/11 cases (p less than 0.001), but remained nearly unchanged after failed procedure. Prevalence of LF waves before and after PTA did not differ significantly. Our data support the hypothesis that HF waves represent a reaction of skin microcirculation to severe ischaemia. With reference to animal studies it is proposed that HF waves originate from terminal arterioles. They may function as a compensatory mechanism of flow regulation involved in pathophysiology of ischaemia.

Wideband piezoelectric energy harvester for low-frequency application with plucking mechanism

Science.gov (United States)

Hiraki, Yasuhiro; Masuda, Arata; Ikeda, Naoto; Katsumura, Hidenori; Kagata, Hiroshi; Okumura, Hidenori

2015-04-01

Wireless sensor networks need energy harvesting from vibrational environment for their power supply. The conventional resonance type vibration energy harvesters, however, are not always effective for low frequency application. The purpose of this paper is to propose a high efficiency energy harvester for low frequency application by utilizing plucking and SSHI techniques, and to investigate the effects of applying those techniques in terms of the energy harvesting efficiency. First, we derived an approximate formulation of energy harvesting efficiency of the plucking device by theoretical analysis. Next, it was confirmed that the improved efficiency agreed with numerical and experimental results. Also, a parallel SSHI, a switching circuit technique to improve the performance of the harvester was introduced and examined by numerical simulations and experiments. Contrary to the simulated results in which the efficiency was improved from 13.1% to 22.6% by introducing the SSHI circuit, the efficiency obtained in the experiment was only 7.43%. This would due to the internal resistance of the inductors and photo MOS relays on the switching circuit and the simulation including this factor revealed large negative influence of it. This result suggested that the reduction of the switching resistance was significantly important to the implementation of SSHI.

Major enhancement of extra-low-frequency radiation by increasing the high-frequency heating wave power in electrojet modulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuo, S.P.; Lee, S.H.; Kossey, Paul

2002-01-01

Extra-low-frequency (ELF) wave generation by modulated polar electrojet currents is studied. The amplitude-modulated high-frequency (HF) heating wave excites a stimulated thermal instability to enhance the electrojet current modulation by the passive Ohmic heating process. Inelastic collisions of electrons with neutral particles (mainly due to vibrational excitation of N 2 ) damp nonlinearly this instability, which is normally saturated at low levels. However, the electron's inelastic collision loss rate drops rapidly to a low value in the energy regime from 3.5 to 6 eV. As the power of the modulated HF heating wave exceeds a threshold level, it is shown that significant electron heating enhanced by the stimulated thermal instability can indeed cause a steep drop in the electron inelastic collision loss rate. Consequently, this instability saturates at a much higher level, resulting to a near step increase (of about 10-13 dB, depending on the modulation wave form) in the spectral intensity of ELF radiation. The dependence of the threshold power of the HF heating wave on the modulation frequency is determined

Reliabilty worth: Development of a relationship with outage magnitude, duration and frequency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, F.P.P.; Katrichak, A.M.; Dwyer, A.; Edwards, D.; Ibrahim, A.

1994-01-01

British Columbia Hydro's Worth Project Team was founded to determine values for reliability for reference in evaluation of investment and operating decisions. Work to date has produced key preliminary values for specific outages and concepts for the shape of the relationship between value and these determinates of reliability worth, frequency, magnitude and duration. These values and concepts are described. The values are developed through an iterative, trial and refinement approach. The approach incorporates direct input from customers, common sense and judgement, and micro- and macro-economic concepts. Reliability worth values for reduced or prevented outages are presented for residential, commercial, small industrial and mixed sectors and various outage durations. Reliability worth values were obtained through customer surveys. Limitations of the reliability worth value are numerous and are listed. Study of cost vs magnitude of interruption using microeconomic models has shown that costly system improvements to reduce the possibility of widespread outages may not be justified. The case of exceptionally large area outages (blackouts) is examined. The cost vs frequency relationship was examined in terms of the economic concept of utility or satisfaction. Different loss/frequency characteristics are demonstrated for different customer classes. Customer value for reduced outage duration is expressed in a curve with flatter slope than that for eliminated outages. 2 refs., 6 figs

Comparison of High, Intermediate, and Low Frequency Shock Wave Lithotripsy for Urinary Tract Stone Disease: Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Dong Hyuk; Cho, Kang Su; Ham, Won Sik; Lee, Hyungmin; Kwon, Jong Kyou; Choi, Young Deuk; Lee, Joo Yong

2016-01-01

To perform a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to determine the optimal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) frequency range for treating urinary stones, i.e., high-frequency (100-120 waves/minute), intermediate-frequency (80-90 waves/minute), and low-frequency (60-70 waves/minute) lithotripsy. Relevant RCTs were identified from electronic databases for meta-analysis of SWL success and complication rates. Using pairwise and network meta-analyses, comparisons were made by qualitative and quantitative syntheses. Outcome variables are provided as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Thirteen articles were included in the qualitative and quantitative synthesis using pairwise and network meta-analyses. On pairwise meta-analyses, comparable inter-study heterogeneity was observed for the success rate. On network meta-analyses, the success rates of low- (OR 2.2; 95% CI 1.5-2.6) and intermediate-frequency SWL (OR 2.5; 95% CI 1.3-4.6) were higher than high-frequency SWL. Forest plots from the network meta-analysis showed no significant differences in the success rate between low-frequency SWL versus intermediate-frequency SWL (OR 0.87; 95% CI 0.51-1.7). There were no differences in complication rate across different SWL frequency ranges. By rank-probability testing, intermediate-frequency SWL was ranked highest for success rate, followed by low-frequency and high-frequency SWL. Low-frequency SWL was also ranked highest for low complication rate, with high- and intermediate-frequency SWL ranked lower. Intermediate- and low-frequency SWL have better treatment outcomes than high-frequency SWL when considering both efficacy and complication.

Mechanism of High Frequency Shallow Earthquake Source in Mount Soputan, North Sulawesi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yasa Suparman

2014-06-01

Full Text Available DOI: 10.17014/ijog.v6i3.122Moment tensor analysis had been conducted to understand the source mechanism of earthquakes in Soputan Volcano during October - November 2010 period. The record shows shallow earthquakes with frequency about 5 - 9 Hz. Polarity distribution of P-wave first onset indicates that the recorded earthquakes are predominated by earthquakes where almost at all stations have the same direction of P-wave first motions, and earthquakes with upward first motions.In this article, the source mechanism is described as the second derivative of moment tensor, approached with first motion amplitude inversion of P-wave at some seismic stations. The result of moment tensor decomposition are predominated by earthquakes with big percentage in ISO and CLVD component. Focal mechanism shows that the recorded earthquakes have the same strike in northeast-southwest direction with dip about 400 - 600. The sources of the high frequency shallow earthquakes are in the form of tensile-shear cracks or a combination between crack and tensile faulting.

Transport pathways and enhancement mechanisms within localized and non-localized transport regions in skin treated with low-frequency sonophoresis and sodium lauryl sulfate.

Science.gov (United States)

Polat, Baris E; Figueroa, Pedro L; Blankschtein, Daniel; Langer, Robert

2011-02-01

Recent advances in transdermal drug delivery utilizing low-frequency sonophoresis (LFS) and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) have revealed that skin permeability enhancement is not homogenous across the skin surface. Instead, highly perturbed skin regions, known as localized transport regions (LTRs), exist. Despite these findings, little research has been conducted to identify intrinsic properties and formation mechanisms of LTRs and the surrounding less-perturbed non-LTRs. By independently analyzing LTR, non-LTR, and total skin samples treated at multiple LFS frequencies, we found that the pore radii (r(pore)) within non-LTRs are frequency-independent, ranging from 18.2 to 18.5 Å, but significantly larger than r(pore) of native skin samples (13.6 Å). Conversely, r(pore) within LTRs increase significantly with decreasing frequency from 161 to 276 Å and to ∞ (>300 Å) for LFS/SLS-treated skin at 60, 40, and 20 kHz, respectively. Our findings suggest that different mechanisms contribute to skin permeability enhancement within each skin region. We propose that the enhancement mechanism within LTRs is the frequency-dependent process of cavitation-induced microjet collapse at the skin surface, whereas the increased r(pore) values in non-LTRs are likely due to SLS perturbation, with enhanced penetration of SLS into the skin resulting from the frequency-independent process of microstreaming. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Transport Pathways and Enhancement Mechanisms within Localized and Non-Localized Transport Regions in Skin Treated with Low-Frequency Sonophoresis and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Science.gov (United States)

Polat, Baris E.; Figueroa, Pedro L.; Blankschtein, Daniel; Langer, Robert

2011-01-01

Recent advances in transdermal drug delivery utilizing low-frequency sonophoresis (LFS) and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) have revealed that skin permeability enhancement is not homogenous across the skin surface. Instead, highly perturbed skin regions, known as localized transport regions (LTRs), exist. Despite these findings, little research has been conducted to identify intrinsic properties and formation mechanisms of LTRs and the surrounding less-perturbed non-LTRs. By independently analyzing LTR, non-LTR, and total skin samples treated at multiple LFS frequencies, we found that the pore radii (rpore) within non-LTRs are frequency-independent, ranging from 18.2 – 18.5 Å, but significantly larger than rpore of native skin samples (13.6 Å). Conversely, rpore within LTRs increases significantly with decreasing frequency from 161 Å, to 276 Å, and to ∞ (>300Å) for LFS/SLS-treated skin at 60 kHz, 40 kHz, and 20 kHz, respectively. Our findings suggest that different mechanisms contribute to skin permeability enhancement within each skin region. We propose that the enhancement mechanism within LTRs is the frequency-dependent process of cavitation-induced microjet collapse at the skin surface, while the increased rpore values in non-LTRs are likely due to SLS perturbation, with enhanced penetration of SLS into the skin resulting from the frequency-independent process of microstreaming. PMID:20740667

Extended High Frequency Audiometry in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cuneyt Kucur

2013-01-01

and BMI of PCOS and control groups were comparable. Each subject was tested with low (250–2000 Hz, high (4000–8000 Hz, and extended high frequency audiometry (8000–20000. Hormonal and biochemical values including LH, LH/FSH, testosterone, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, HOMA-I, and CRP were calculated. Results. PCOS patients showed high levels of LH, LH/FSH, testosterone, fasting insulin, glucose, HOMA-I, and CRP levels. The hearing thresholds of the groups were similar at frequencies of 250, 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz; statistically significant difference was observed in 8000–14000 Hz in PCOS group compared to control group. Conclusion. PCOS patients have hearing impairment especially in extended high frequencies. Further studies are needed to help elucidate the mechanism behind hearing impairment in association with PCOS.

Low-frequency-noise complaints

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Christian Sejer; Møller, Henrik; Persson-Waye, Kerstin

2008-01-01

From 203 cases of low-frequency complaints a random selection of twenty-one cases were investigated. The main aim of the investigation was to answer the question whether the annoyance is caused by an external physical sound or by a physically non-existing sound, i.e. low-frequency tinnitus. Noise...... of the complainants are annoyed by a physical sound (20-180 Hz), while others suffer from low-frequency tinnitus (perceived frequency 40-100 Hz). Physical sound at frequencies below 20 Hz (infrasound) is not responsible for the annoyance - or at all audible - in any of the investigated cases, and none...... of the complainants has extraordinary hearing sensitivity at low frequencies. For comparable cases of low-frequency noise complaints in general, it is anticipated that physical sound is responsible in a substantial part of the cases, while low-frequency tinnitus is responsible in another substantial part of the cases....

The Neuroprotective Mechanism of Low-Frequency rTMS on Nigral Dopaminergic Neurons of Parkinson’s Disease Model Mice

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Qiaoyun Dong

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease in elder people, pathophysiologic basis of which is the severe deficiency of dopamine in the striatum. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of low-frequency rTMS on Parkinson’s disease in model mice. Methods. The effects of low-frequency rTMS on the motor function, cortex excitability, neurochemistry, and neurohistopathology of MPTP-induced Parkinson’s disease mice were investigated through behavioral detection, electrophysiologic technique, high performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detection, immunohistochemical staining, and western blot. Results. Low-frequency rTMS could improve the motor coordination impairment of Parkinson’s disease mice: the resting motor threshold significantly decreased in the Parkinson’s disease mice; the degeneration of nigral dopaminergic neuron and the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase were significantly improved by low-frequency rTMS; moreover, the expressions of brain derived neurotrophic factor and glial cell line derived neurotrophic factor were also improved by low-frequency rTMS. Conclusions. Low-frequency rTMS had a neuroprotective effect on the nigral dopaminergic neuron which might be due to the improved expressions of brain derived neurotrophic factor and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor. The present study provided a theoretical basis for the application of low-frequency rTMS in the clinical treatment and recovery of Parkinson’s disease.

Energy harvesting from low frequency applications using piezoelectric materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Huidong; Tian, Chuan; Deng, Z. Daniel

2014-01-01

In an effort to eliminate the replacement of the batteries of electronic devices that are difficult or impractical to service once deployed, harvesting energy from mechanical vibrations or impacts using piezoelectric materials has been researched over the last several decades. However, a majority of these applications have very low input frequencies. This presents a challenge for the researchers to optimize the energy output of piezoelectric energy harvesters, due to the relatively high elastic moduli of piezoelectric materials used to date. This paper reviews the current state of research on piezoelectric energy harvesting devices for low frequency (0–100 Hz) applications and the methods that have been developed to improve the power outputs of the piezoelectric energy harvesters. Various key aspects that contribute to the overall performance of a piezoelectric energy harvester are discussed, including geometries of the piezoelectric element, types of piezoelectric material used, techniques employed to match the resonance frequency of the piezoelectric element to input frequency of the host structure, and electronic circuits specifically designed for energy harvesters

Effect of low-frequency power on dual-frequency capacitively coupled plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan, Q H; Xin, Y; Huang, X J; Sun, K; Ning, Z Y; Yin, G Q

2008-01-01

In low-pressure dual-frequency capacitively coupled plasmas driven with 60/13.56 MHz, the effect of low-frequency power on the plasma characteristics was investigated using a compensated Langmuir electrostatic probe. At lower pressures (about 10 mTorr), it was possible to control the plasma density and the ion bombardment energy independently. As the pressure increased, this independent control could not be achieved. As the low-frequency power increased for the fixed high-frequency power, the electron energy probability function (EEPF) changed from Druyvesteyn-like to Maxwellian-like at pressures of 50 mTorr and higher, along with a drop in electron temperature. The plasma parameters were calculated and compared with simulation results.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LOW AND HIGH FREQUENCIES IN δ SCUTI STARS: PHOTOMETRIC KEPLER AND SPECTROSCOPIC ANALYSES OF THE RAPID ROTATOR KIC 8054146

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breger, M.; Robertson, P.; Fossati, L.; Balona, L.; Kurtz, D. W.; Bohlender, D.; Lenz, P.; Müller, I.; Lüftinger, Th.; Clarke, Bruce D.; Hall, Jennifer R.; Ibrahim, Khadeejah A.

2012-01-01

Two years of Kepler data of KIC 8054146 (δ Sct/γ Dor hybrid) revealed 349 statistically significant frequencies between 0.54 and 191.36 cycles day –1 (6.3 μHz to 2.21 mHz). The 117 low frequencies cluster in specific frequency bands, but do not show the equidistant period spacings predicted for gravity modes of successive radial order, n, and reported for at least one other hybrid pulsator. The four dominant low frequencies in the 2.8-3.0 cycles day –1 (32-35 μHz) range show strong amplitude variability with timescales of months and years. These four low frequencies also determine the spacing of the higher frequencies in and beyond the δ Sct pressure-mode frequency domain. In fact, most of the higher frequencies belong to one of three families with spacings linked to a specific dominant low frequency. In the Fourier spectrum, these family regularities show up as triplets, high-frequency sequences with absolutely equidistant frequency spacings, side lobes (amplitude modulations), and other regularities in frequency spacings. Furthermore, within two families the amplitude variations between the low and high frequencies are related. We conclude that the low frequencies (gravity modes, rotation) and observed high frequencies (mostly pressure modes) are physically connected. This unusual behavior may be related to the very rapid rotation of the star: from a combination of high- and low-resolution spectroscopy we determined that KIC 8054146 is a very fast rotator (υ sin i = 300 ± 20 km s –1 ) with an effective temperature of 7600 ± 200 K and a surface gravity log g of 3.9 ± 0.3. Several astrophysical ideas explaining the origin of the relationship between the low and high frequencies are explored.

Measurements of Low Frequency Noise of Infrared Photo-Detectors with Transimpedance Detection System

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Ciura Łukasz

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the method and results of low-frequency noise measurements of modern mid-wavelength infrared photodetectors. A type-II InAs/GaSb superlattice based detector with nBn barrier architecture is compared with a high operating temperature (HOT heterojunction HgCdTe detector. All experiments were made in the range 1 Hz - 10 kHz at various temperatures by using a transimpedance detection system, which is examined in detail. The power spectral density of the nBn’s dark current noise includes Lorentzians with different time constants while the HgCdTe photodiode has more uniform 1/f - shaped spectra. For small bias, the low-frequency noise power spectra of both devices were found to scale linearly with bias voltage squared and were connected with the fluctuations of the leakage resistance. Leakage resistance noise defines the lower noise limit of a photodetector. Other dark current components give raise to the increase of low-frequency noise above this limit. For the same voltage biasing devices, the absolute noise power densities at 1 Hz in nBn are 1 to 2 orders of magnitude lower than in a MCT HgCdTe detector. In spite of this, low-frequency performance of the HgCdTe detector at ~ 230K is still better than that of InAs/GaSb superlattice nBn detector.

An Ultra-low Frequency Modal Testing Suspension System for High Precision Air Pressure Control

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Qiaoling YUAN

2014-05-01

Full Text Available As a resolution for air pressure control challenges in ultra-low frequency modal testing suspension systems, an incremental PID control algorithm with dead band is applied to achieve high-precision pressure control. We also develop a set of independent hardware and software systems for high-precision pressure control solutions. Taking control system versatility, scalability, reliability, and other aspects into considerations, a two-level communication employing Ethernet and CAN bus, is adopted to complete such tasks as data exchange between the IPC, the main board and the control board ,and the pressure control. Furthermore, we build a single set of ultra-low frequency modal testing suspension system and complete pressure control experiments, which achieve the desired results and thus confirm that the high-precision pressure control subsystem is reasonable and reliable.

High-frequency, high-intensity photoionization

Science.gov (United States)

Reiss, H. R.

1996-02-01

Two analytical methods for computing ionization by high-frequency fields are compared. Predicted ionization rates compare well, but energy predictions for the onset of ionization differ radically. The difference is shown to arise from the use of a transformation in one of the methods that alters the zero from which energy is measured. This alteration leads to an apparent energy threshold for ionization that can, especially in the stabilization regime, differ strongly from the laboratory measurement. It is concluded that channel closings in intense-field ionization can occur at high as well as low frequencies. It is also found that the stabilization phenomenon at high frequencies, very prominent for hydrogen, is absent in a short-range potential.

Stimulus-dependent modulation of spontaneous low-frequency oscillations in the rat visual cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Liangming; Liu, Yadong; Gui, Jianjun; Li, Ming; Hu, Dewen

2014-08-06

Research on spontaneous low-frequency oscillations is important to reveal underlying regulatory mechanisms in the brain. The mechanism for the stimulus modulation of low-frequency oscillations is not known. Here, we used the intrinsic optical imaging technique to examine stimulus-modulated low-frequency oscillation signals in the rat visual cortex. The stimulation was presented monocularly as a flashing light with different frequencies and intensities. The phases of low-frequency oscillations in different regions tended to be synchronized and the rhythms typically accelerated within a 30-s period after stimulation. These phenomena were confined to visual stimuli with specific flashing frequencies (12.5-17.5 Hz) and intensities (5-10 mA). The acceleration and synchronization induced by the flashing frequency were more marked than those induced by the intensity. These results show that spontaneous low-frequency oscillations can be modulated by parameter-dependent flashing lights and indicate the potential utility of the visual stimulus paradigm in exploring the origin and function of low-frequency oscillations.

Fatigue-induced changes in group IV muscle afferent activity: differences between high- and low-frequency electrically induced fatigues.

Science.gov (United States)

Darques, J L; Jammes, Y

1997-03-07

Recordings of group IV afferent activity of tibialis anterior muscle were performed in paralysed rabbits during runs of electrically induced fatigue produced by direct muscle stimulation at a high (100 Hz, high-frequency fatigue HFF) or a low rate (10 Hz, low-frequency fatigue LFF). In addition to analysis of afferent nerve action potentials, muscle force and compound muscle action potentials (M waves) elicited by direct muscle stimulation with single shocks were recorded. Changes in M wave configuration were used as an index of the altered propagation of membrane potentials and the associated efflux of potassium from muscle fibers. The data show that increased group IV afferent activity occurred during LFF as well as HFF trials and developed parallel with force failure. Enhanced afferent activity was significantly higher during LFF (maximal delta f(impulses) = 249 +/- 35%) than HFF (147 +/- 45%). No correlation was obtained between the responses of group IV afferents to LFF or to pressure exerted on tibialis anterior muscle. On the other hand, decreased M wave amplitude was minimal with LFF while it was pronounced with HFF. Close correlations were found between fatigue-induced activation of group IV afferents and decreases in force or M wave amplitude, but their strength was significantly higher with LFF compared to HFF. Thus, electrically induced fatigue activates group IV muscle afferents with a prominent effect of low-frequency stimulation. The mechanism of muscle afferent stimulation does not seem to be due to the sole increase in extracellular potassium concentration, but also by the efflux of muscle metabolites, present during fatiguing contractions at low rate of stimulation.

Availability of high-magnitude streamflow for groundwater banking in the Central Valley, California

Science.gov (United States)

Kocis, Tiffany N.; Dahlke, Helen E.

2017-08-01

California’s climate is characterized by the largest precipitation and streamflow variability observed within the conterminous US This, combined with chronic groundwater overdraft of 0.6-3.5 km3 yr-1, creates the need to identify additional surface water sources available for groundwater recharge using methods such as agricultural groundwater banking, aquifer storage and recovery, and spreading basins. High-magnitude streamflow, i.e. flow above the 90th percentile, that exceeds environmental flow requirements and current surface water allocations under California water rights, could be a viable source of surface water for groundwater banking. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of the magnitude, frequency, duration and timing of high-magnitude streamflow (HMF) for 93 stream gauges covering the Sacramento, San Joaquin and Tulare basins in California. The results show that in an average year with HMF approximately 3.2 km3 of high-magnitude flow is exported from the entire Central Valley to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta often at times when environmental flow requirements of the Delta and major rivers are exceeded. High-magnitude flow occurs, on average, during 7 and 4.7 out of 10 years in the Sacramento River and the San Joaquin-Tulare Basins, respectively, from just a few storm events (5-7 1-day peak events) lasting for 25-30 days between November and April. The results suggest that there is sufficient unmanaged surface water physically available to mitigate long-term groundwater overdraft in the Central Valley.

Ballistic-type field penetration into metals illustrated by high- and low-frequency size-effect measurements in silver

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gantmakher, V. F.; Lebech, Jens; Bak, Christen Kjeldahl

1979-01-01

Radio-frequency size-effect experiments were performed on silver plane-parallel plates at high, 45 GHz, and low, 3 MHz, frequencies. By investigation of size-effect structures we show the influence of frequency on the field distribution inside the metal. When the frequency increases, the splash...

Low-frequency modes with high toroidal mode numbers. A general formulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pegoraro, F.; Schep, T.J.

1979-09-01

Low-frequency waves with high toroidal mode numbers in an axisymmetric toroidal configuration are studied. In particular, the relationship between the periodicity constraints imposed by the geometry, magnetic shear and the spatial structure of eigenmodes is investigated. By exploiting the radial translational invariance and the poloidal periodicity of the gyrokinetic and Maxwell equations, the two-dimensional problem can be converted into a one-dimensional one and the mode structure can be expressed in terms of a single extended poloidal variable. This representation is used in the description of electromagnetic modes with phase velocities larger than the ion thermal velocity and with frequencies below the ion gyro-frequency. Trapped particle, curvature and compressional effects are retained. The dispersion equations for drift mode and Alfven-type modes are given in general geometry and simplified solutions are presented in the configuration of a double periodic plane slab. (Auth.)

Effect of the imposition of low-frequency mechanical oscillations on the extraction efficiency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ju. I. Shitshatskij

2018-01-01

Full Text Available It was shown that the effective transfer of the target component from the raw material occurs under a turbulent regime conditions provided by applying mechanical oscillations to a two-phase system: solid-liquid. Due to this hydrodynamic situation, not only external but also internal diffusion is intensified in the extractor. The method for intensifying the extraction process using low-frequency mechanical oscillations in the case when the vibrational motion is performed by a device with a cheese whey containing suspended porous particles was studied in the work. The experiments were carried out on the laboratory equipment with a supply to a two-phase energy system from the outside, the source of which in the first case was an electromagnet, in the second - a mechanical drive with an eccentric device. Schemes of equipment were also presented in the work. The regime parameters varied in the following ranges: temperature - 40-60 оС, oscillation frequency - 30 - 40 osc / s, amplitude - 1 - 6.5 mm. In the extraction process, the current concentration of extractive substances was obtained from the material balance equation. Extraction curves obtained from experimental data were presented. Increasing extraction of extractive substances in time was observed, it being more intense with the increasing frequency of oscillations. It was found that the growth of the amplitude does not have a significant influence on the change of these indices. The intensity of oscillations was up to 260 mm / s. At the same time, the yield of extractive substances in particular from lupine in the form of grits was 25%, and the duration of the process was 18 min. The experiments showed that the application of the chosen extraction method results into a significant acceleration of the process (up to 2.5 times as compared to extraction in a dense layer. It is concluded that due to the imposition of mechanical oscillations on the surface and in the pores of the solid phase

A study on the contribution of body vibrations to the vibratory sensation induced by high-level, complex low-frequency noise

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Yukio Takahashi

2011-01-01

Full Text Available To investigate the contribution of body vibrations to the vibratory sensation induced by high-level, complex low-frequency noise, we conducted two experiments. In Experiment 1, eight male subjects were exposed to seven types of low-frequency noise stimuli: two pure tones [a 31.5-Hz, 100-dB(SPL tone and a 50-Hz, 100-dB(SPL tone] and five complex noises composed of the pure tones. For the complex noise stimuli, the sound pressure level of one tonal component was 100 dB(SPL and that of another one was either 90, 95, or 100 dB(SPL. Vibration induced on the body surface was measured at five locations, and the correlation with the subjective rating of the vibratory sensation at each site of measurement was examined. In Experiment 2, the correlation between the body surface vibration and the vibratory sensation was similarly examined using seven types of noise stimuli composed of a 25-Hz tone and a 50-Hz tone. In both the experiments, we found that at the chest and the abdomen, the rating of the vibratory sensation was in close correlation with the vibration acceleration level (VAL of the body surface vibration measured at each corresponding location. This was consistent with our previous results and suggested that at the trunk of the body (the chest and the abdomen, the mechanoreception of body vibrations plays an important role in the experience of the vibratory sensation in persons exposed to high-level low-frequency noise. At the head, however, no close correlation was found between the rating of the vibratory sensation and the VAL of body surface vibration. This suggested that at the head, the perceptual mechanisms of vibration induced by high-level low-frequency noise were different from those in the trunk of the body.

Transport Pathways and Enhancement Mechanisms within Localized and Non-Localized Transport Regions in Skin Treated with Low-Frequency Sonophoresis and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

OpenAIRE

Polat, Baris E.; Figueroa, Pedro L.; Blankschtein, Daniel; Langer, Robert

2010-01-01

Recent advances in transdermal drug delivery utilizing low-frequency sonophoresis (LFS) and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) have revealed that skin permeability enhancement is not homogenous across the skin surface. Instead, highly perturbed skin regions, known as localized transport regions (LTRs), exist. Despite these findings, little research has been conducted to identify intrinsic properties and formation mechanisms of LTRs and the surrounding less-perturbed non-LTRs. By independently analyz...

Finite-Element Modeling of Viscoelastic Cells During High-Frequency Cyclic Strain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David W. Holdsworth

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Mechanotransduction refers to the mechanisms by which cells sense and respond to local loads and forces. The process of mechanotransduction plays an important role both in maintaining tissue viability and in remodeling to repair damage; moreover, it may be involved in the initiation and progression of diseases such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. An understanding of the mechanisms by which cells respond to surrounding tissue matrices or artificial biomaterials is crucial in regenerative medicine and in influencing cellular differentiation. Recent studies have shown that some cells may be most sensitive to low-amplitude, high-frequency (i.e., 1–100 Hz mechanical stimulation. Advances in finite-element modeling have made it possible to simulate high-frequency mechanical loading of cells. We have developed a viscoelastic finite-element model of an osteoblastic cell (including cytoskeletal actin stress fibers, attached to an elastomeric membrane undergoing cyclic isotropic radial strain with a peak value of 1,000 µstrain. The results indicate that cells experience significant stress and strain amplification when undergoing high-frequency strain, with peak values of cytoplasmic strain five times higher at 45 Hz than at 1 Hz, and peak Von Mises stress in the nucleus increased by a factor of two. Focal stress and strain amplification in cells undergoing high-frequency mechanical stimulation may play an important role in mechanotransduction.

Tuning and sensitivity of the human vestibular system to low-frequency vibration.

Science.gov (United States)

Todd, Neil P McAngus; Rosengren, Sally M; Colebatch, James G

2008-10-17

Mechanoreceptive hair-cells of the vertebrate inner ear have a remarkable sensitivity to displacement, whether excited by sound, whole-body acceleration or substrate-borne vibration. In response to seismic or substrate-borne vibration, thresholds for vestibular afferent fibre activation have been reported in anamniotes (fish and frogs) in the range -120 to -90 dB re 1g. In this article, we demonstrate for the first time that the human vestibular system is also extremely sensitive to low-frequency and infrasound vibrations by making use of a new technique for measuring vestibular activation, via the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR). We found a highly tuned response to whole-head vibration in the transmastoid plane with a best frequency of about 100 Hz. At the best frequency we obtained VOR responses at intensities of less than -70 dB re 1g, which was 15 dB lower than the threshold of hearing for bone-conducted sound in humans at this frequency. Given the likely synaptic attenuation of the VOR pathway, human receptor sensitivity is probably an order of magnitude lower, thus approaching the seismic sensitivity of the frog ear. These results extend our knowledge of vibration-sensitivity of vestibular afferents but also are remarkable as they indicate that the seismic sensitivity of the human vestibular system exceeds that of the cochlea for low-frequencies.

Prediction of broadband ground-motion time histories: Hybrid low/high-frequency method with correlated random source parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, P.; Archuleta, R.J.; Hartzell, S.H.

2006-01-01

We present a new method for calculating broadband time histories of ground motion based on a hybrid low-frequency/high-frequency approach with correlated source parameters. Using a finite-difference method we calculate low- frequency synthetics (structure. We also compute broadband synthetics in a 1D velocity model using a frequency-wavenumber method. The low frequencies from the 3D calculation are combined with the high frequencies from the 1D calculation by using matched filtering at a crossover frequency of 1 Hz. The source description, common to both the 1D and 3D synthetics, is based on correlated random distributions for the slip amplitude, rupture velocity, and rise time on the fault. This source description allows for the specification of source parameters independent of any a priori inversion results. In our broadband modeling we include correlation between slip amplitude, rupture velocity, and rise time, as suggested by dynamic fault modeling. The method of using correlated random source parameters is flexible and can be easily modified to adjust to our changing understanding of earthquake ruptures. A realistic attenuation model is common to both the 3D and 1D calculations that form the low- and high-frequency components of the broadband synthetics. The value of Q is a function of the local shear-wave velocity. To produce more accurate high-frequency amplitudes and durations, the 1D synthetics are corrected with a randomized, frequency-dependent radiation pattern. The 1D synthetics are further corrected for local site and nonlinear soil effects by using a 1D nonlinear propagation code and generic velocity structure appropriate for the site’s National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) site classification. The entire procedure is validated by comparison with the 1994 Northridge, California, strong ground motion data set. The bias and error found here for response spectral acceleration are similar to the best results that have been published by

From MAD to SAD: The Italian experience for the low-frequency aperture array of SKA1-LOW

Science.gov (United States)

Bolli, P.; Pupillo, G.; Virone, G.; Farooqui, M. Z.; Lingua, A.; Mattana, A.; Monari, J.; Murgia, M.; Naldi, G.; Paonessa, F.; Perini, F.; Pluchino, S.; Rusticelli, S.; Schiaffino, M.; Schillirò, F.; Tartarini, G.; Tibaldi, A.

2016-03-01

This paper describes two small aperture array demonstrators called Medicina and Sardinia Array Demonstrators (MAD and SAD, respectively). The objectives of these instruments are to acquire experience and test new technologies for a possible application to the low-frequency aperture array of the low-frequency telescope of the Square Kilometer Array phase 1 (SKA1-LOW). The MAD experience was concluded in 2014, and it turned out to be an important test bench for implementing calibration techniques based on an artificial source mounted in an aerial vehicle. SAD is based on 128 dual-polarized Vivaldi antennas and is 1 order of magnitude larger than MAD. The architecture and the station size of SAD, which is along the construction phase, are more similar to those under evaluation for SKA1-LOW, and therefore, SAD is expected to provide useful hints for SKA1-LOW.

The subjective effect of low frequency content in road traffic noise.

Science.gov (United States)

Torija, Antonio J; Flindell, Ian H

2015-01-01

Based on subjective listening trials, Torija and Flindell [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 135, 1-4 (2014)] observed that low frequency content in typical urban main road traffic noise appeared to make a smaller contribution to reported annoyance than might be inferred from its objective or physical dominance. This paper reports a more detailed study which was aimed at (i) identifying the difference in sound levels at which low frequency content becomes subjectively dominant over mid and high frequency content and (ii) investigating the relationship between loudness and annoyance under conditions where low frequency content is relatively more dominant, such as indoors where mid and high frequency content is reduced. The results suggested that differences of at least +30 dB between the low frequency and the mid/high frequency content are needed for changes in low frequency content to have as much subjective effect as equivalent changes in mid and high frequency content. This suggests that common criticisms of the A-frequency weighting based on a hypothesized excessive downweighting of the low frequency content may be relatively unfounded in this application area.

Methodology for Estimation of Flood Magnitude and Frequency for New Jersey Streams

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Kara M.; Schopp, Robert D.

2009-01-01

Methodologies were developed for estimating flood magnitudes at the 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, 100-, and 500-year recurrence intervals for unregulated or slightly regulated streams in New Jersey. Regression equations that incorporate basin characteristics were developed to estimate flood magnitude and frequency for streams throughout the State by use of a generalized least squares regression analysis. Relations between flood-frequency estimates based on streamflow-gaging-station discharge and basin characteristics were determined by multiple regression analysis, and weighted by effective years of record. The State was divided into five hydrologically similar regions to refine the regression equations. The regression analysis indicated that flood discharge, as determined by the streamflow-gaging-station annual peak flows, is related to the drainage area, main channel slope, percentage of lake and wetland areas in the basin, population density, and the flood-frequency region, at the 95-percent confidence level. The standard errors of estimate for the various recurrence-interval floods ranged from 48.1 to 62.7 percent. Annual-maximum peak flows observed at streamflow-gaging stations through water year 2007 and basin characteristics determined using geographic information system techniques for 254 streamflow-gaging stations were used for the regression analysis. Drainage areas of the streamflow-gaging stations range from 0.18 to 779 mi2. Peak-flow data and basin characteristics for 191 streamflow-gaging stations located in New Jersey were used, along with peak-flow data for stations located in adjoining States, including 25 stations in Pennsylvania, 17 stations in New York, 16 stations in Delaware, and 5 stations in Maryland. Streamflow records for selected stations outside of New Jersey were included in the present study because hydrologic, physiographic, and geologic boundaries commonly extend beyond political boundaries. The StreamStats web application was developed

A low-frequency asymptotic model of seismic reflection from a high-permeability layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silin, Dmitriy; Goloshubin, Gennady

2009-03-01

Analysis of compression wave propagation through a high-permeability layer in a homogeneous poroelastic medium predicts a peak of reflection in the low-frequency end of the spectrum. An explicit formula expresses the resonant frequency through the elastic moduli of the solid skeleton, the permeability of the reservoir rock, the fluid viscosity and compressibility, and the reservoir thickness. This result is obtained through a low-frequency asymptotic analysis of the Biot's model of poroelasticity. A new physical interpretation of some coefficients of the classical poroelasticity is a result of the derivation of the main equations from the Hooke's law, momentum and mass balance equations, and the Darcy's law. The velocity of wave propagation, the attenuation factor, and the wave number, are expressed in the form of power series with respect to a small dimensionless parameter. The latter is equal to the product of the kinematic reservoir fluid mobility, an imaginary unit, and the frequency of the signal. Retaining only the leading terms of the series leads to explicit and relatively simple expressions for the reflection and transmission coefficients for a planar wave crossing an interface between two permeable media, as well as wave reflection from a thin highly-permeable layer (a lens). The practical implications of the theory developed here are seismic modeling, inversion, and attribute analysis.

Active Control of High-Speed Free Jets Using High-Frequency Excitation

Science.gov (United States)

Upadhyay, Puja

work expands on the previous development of low-frequency (2-8 kHz) Resonance Enhanced Micro-actuators (REM) to design actuators that are capable of producing high amplitude pulses at much higher frequencies. Extensive benchtop characterization, using acoustic measurements as well as optical diagnostics using a high resolution micro-schlieren setup, is employed to characterize the flow properties and dynamic response of these actuators. The actuators produced high-amplitude output a range of frequencies, 20.3-27.8 kHz and 54.8-78.2 kHz, respectively. In addition to providing information on the actuator flow physics and performances at various operating conditions, the benchtop study serves to develop relatively easy-to-integrate, high-frequency actuators for active control of high-speed jets for noise reduction. Following actuator characterization studies, the nominally 25 kHz ( StDF ≈ 2.2) actuators are implemented on a Mach 0.9 free jet flow field. Eight actuators are azimuthally distributed at the nozzle exit to excite the initial shear layer at frequencies that are approximately an order of magnitude higher compared to the jet preferred frequency, StP ≈ 0.2-0.3. The influence of control on the mean and turbulent characteristics of the jet, especially the developing shear layer, is examined in great detail using planar and stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). Examination of cross-stream velocity profiles revealed that actuation leads to strong, spatially coherent streamwise vortex pairs which in turn significantly modify the mean flow field, resulting in a prominently undulated shear layer. These vortices grow as they convect downstream, enhancing local entrainment and significantly thickening the initial shear layer. Azimuthal inhomogeneity introduced in the jet shear layer is also evident in the simultaneous redistribution and reduction of peak turbulent fluctuations in the cross-plane near the nozzle exit. Further downstream, control results in a

Dynamics and quantum Zeno effect for a qubit in either a low- or high-frequency bath beyond the rotating-wave approximation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao Xiufeng; You, J. Q.; Zheng, H.; Kofman, A. G.; Nori, Franco

2010-01-01

We use a non-Markovian approach to study the decoherence dynamics of a qubit in either a low- or high-frequency bath modeling the qubit environment. This is done for two separate cases: either with measurements or without them. This approach is based on a unitary transformation and does not require the rotating-wave approximation. In the case without measurement, we show that, for low-frequency noise, the bath shifts the qubit energy toward higher energies (blue shift), while the ordinary high-frequency cutoff Ohmic bath shifts the qubit energy toward lower energies (red shift). In order to preserve the coherence of the qubit, we also investigate the dynamics of the qubit subject to measurements (quantum Zeno regime) in two cases: low- and high-frequency baths. For very frequent projective measurements, the low-frequency bath gives rise to the quantum anti-Zeno effect on the qubit. The quantum Zeno effect only occurs in the high-frequency-cutoff Ohmic bath, after counterrotating terms are considered. In the condition that the decay rate due to the two kinds of baths are equal under the Wigner-Weisskopf approximation, we find that without the approximation, for a high-frequency environment, the decay rate should be faster (without measurements) or slower (with frequent measurements, in the Zeno regime), compared to the low-frequency bath case. The experimental implementation of our results here could distinguish the type of bath (either a low- or high-frequency one) and protect the coherence of the qubit by modulating the dominant frequency of its environment.

Nonlinear Microstructured Material to Reduce Noise and Vibrations at Low Frequencies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lavazec, Deborah; Cumunel, Gwendal; Duhamel, Denis; Soize, Christian; Batou, Anas

2016-01-01

At low frequencies, for which the wavelengths are wide, the acoustic waves and the mechanical vibrations cannot easily be reduced in the structures at macroscale by using dissipative materials, contrarily to the middle- and high-frequency ranges. The final objective of this work is to reduce the vibrations and the induced noise on a broad low-frequency band by using a microstructured material by inclusions that are randomly arranged in the material matrix. The dynamical regimes of the inclusions will be imposed in the nonlinear domain in order that the energy be effectively pumped over a broad frequency band around the resonance frequency, due to the nonlinearity. The first step of this work is to design and to analyze the efficiency of an inclusion, which is made up of a hollow frame including a point mass centered on a beam. This inclusion is designed in order to exhibit nonlinear geometric effects in the low-frequency band that is observed. For this first step, the objective is to develop the simplest mechanical model that has the capability to roughly predict the experimental results that are measured. The second step, which is not presented in the paper, will consist in developing a more sophisticated nonlinear dynamical model of the inclusion. In this paper, devoted to the first step, it is proved that the nonlinearity induces an attenuation on a broad frequency band around the resonance, contrarily to its linear behavior for which the attenuation is only active in a narrow frequency band around the resonance. We will present the design in terms of geometry, dimension and materials for the inclusion, the experimental manufacturing of this system realized with a 3D printing system, and the experimental measures that have been performed. We compare the prevision given by the stochastic computational model with the measurements. The results obtained exhibit the physical attenuation over a broad low-frequency band, which were expected. (paper)

Low-Frequency Pulsed Current Versus Kilohertz-Frequency Alternating Current: A Scoping Literature Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaz, Marco Aurélio; Frasson, Viviane Bortoluzzi

2018-04-01

To compare the effectiveness of low-frequency pulsed current versus kilohertz-frequency alternating current in terms of evoked force, discomfort level, current intensity, and muscle fatigability; to discuss the physiological mechanisms of each neuromuscular electrical stimulation type; and to determine if kilohertz-frequency alternating current is better than low-frequency pulsed current for clinical treatment. Articles were obtained from PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, MEDLINE, and SPORTSDiscus databases using the terms Russian current or kilohertz current or alternating current or pulsed current or Aussie current and torque or discomfort or fatigue or current intensity, and through citation tracking up to July 2017. Two independent reviewers selected studies comparing the use of the 2 neuromuscular electrical stimulation currents. Studies describing maximal current intensity tolerated and the main effects of the 2 different current types on discomfort, muscle force, and fatigability were independently reviewed. Data were systematized according to (1) methodology; (2) electrical current characteristics; and (3) outcomes on discomfort level, evoked force, current intensity, and muscle fatigability. The search revealed 15 articles comparing the 2 current types. Kilohertz-frequency alternated current generated equal or less force, similar discomfort, similar current intensity for maximal tolerated neuromuscular electrical stimulation, and more fatigue compared with low-frequency pulsed current. Similar submaximal levels of evoked force revealed higher discomfort and current intensity for kilohertz-frequency alternated current compared with low-frequency pulsed current. Available evidence does not support the idea that kilohertz-frequency alternated current is better than low-frequency pulsed current for strength training and rehabilitation. Copyright © 2017 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier

Effects of different magnitudes of mechanical strain on Osteoblasts in vitro

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang Lin; Lin Zhu; Li Yongming

2006-01-01

In addition to systemic and local factors, mechanical strain plays a crucial role in bone remodeling during growth, development, and fracture healing, and especially in orthodontic tooth movement. Although many papers have been published on the effects of mechanical stress on osteoblasts or osteoblastic cells, little is known about the effects of different magnitudes of mechanical strain on such cells. In the present study, we investigated how different magnitudes of cyclic tensile strain affected osteoblasts. MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells were subjected to 0%, 6%, 12% or 18% elongation for 24 h using a Flexercell Strain Unit, and then the mRNA and protein expressions of osteoprotegerin (OPG) and receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) were examined. The results showed that cyclic tensile strain induced a magnitude-dependent increase (0%, 6%, 12%, and 18%) in OPG synthesis and a concomitant decrease in RANKL mRNA expression and sRANKL release from the osteoblasts. Furthermore, the induction of OPG mRNA expression by stretching was inhibited by indomethacin or genistein, and the stretch-induced reduction of RANKL mRNA was inhibited by PD098059. These results indicate that different magnitudes of cyclic tensile strain influence the biological behavior of osteoblasts, which profoundly affects bone remodeling

LOW-FREQUENCY OSCILLATIONS IN GLOBAL SIMULATIONS OF BLACK HOLE ACCRETION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Neill, Sean M.; Reynolds, Christopher S.; Coleman Miller, M.; Sorathia, Kareem A.

2011-01-01

We have identified the presence of large-scale, low-frequency dynamo cycles in a long-duration, global, magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation of black hole accretion. Such cycles have previously been seen in local shearing box simulations, but we discuss their evolution over 1500 inner disk orbits of a global π/4 disk wedge spanning two orders of magnitude in radius and seven scale heights in elevation above/below the disk midplane. The observed cycles manifest themselves as oscillations in azimuthal magnetic field occupying a region that extends into a low-density corona several scale heights above the disk. The cycle frequencies are 10-20 times lower than the local orbital frequency, making them potentially interesting sources of low-frequency variability when scaled to real astrophysical systems. Furthermore, power spectra derived from the full time series reveal that the cycles manifest themselves at discrete, narrowband frequencies that often share power across broad radial ranges. We explore possible connections between these simulated cycles and observed low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (LFQPOs) in galactic black hole binary systems, finding that dynamo cycles have the appropriate frequencies and are located in a spatial region associated with X-ray emission in real systems. Derived observational proxies, however, fail to feature peaks with rms amplitudes comparable to LFQPO observations, suggesting that further theoretical work and more sophisticated simulations will be required to form a complete theory of dynamo-driven LFQPOs. Nonetheless, this work clearly illustrates that global MHD dynamos exhibit quasi-periodic behavior on timescales much longer than those derived from test particle considerations.

Low frequency electric and magnetic fields

Science.gov (United States)

Spaniol, Craig

1989-01-01

Following preliminary investigations of the low frequency electric and magnetic fields that may exists in the Earth-ionospheric cavity, measurements were taken with state-of-the art spectrum analyzers. As a follow up to this activity, an investigation was initiated to determine sources and values for possible low frequency signal that would appear in the cavity. The lowest cavity resonance is estimated at about 8 Hz, but lower frequencies may be an important component of our electromagnetic environment. The potential field frequencies produced by the electron were investigated by a classical model that included possible cross coupling of the electric and gravitation fields. During this work, an interesting relationship was found that related the high frequency charge field with the extremely low frequency of the gravitation field. The results of numerical calculations were surprisingly accurate and this area of investigation is continuing. The work toward continued development of a standardized monitoring facility is continuing with the potential of installing the prototype at West Virginia State College early in 1990. This installation would be capable of real time monitoring of ELF signals in the Earth-ionoshpere cavity and would provide some directional information. A high gain, low noise, 1/f frequency corrected preamplifier was designed and tested for the ferrite core magnetic sensor. The potential application of a super conducting sensor for the ELF magnetic field detection is under investigation. It is hoped that a fully operational monitoring network could pinpoint the location of ELF signal sources and provide new information on where these signals originate and what causes them, assuming that they are natural in origin.

The role of ECoG magnitude and phase in decoding position, velocity and acceleration during continuous motor behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiri eHammer

2013-11-01

Full Text Available In neuronal population signals, including the electroencephalogram (EEG and electrocorticogram (ECoG, the low-frequency component (LFC is particularly informative about motor behavior and can be used for decoding movement parameters for brain-machine interface (BMI applications. An idea previously expressed, but as of yet not quantitatively tested, is that it is the LFC phase that is the main source of decodable information. To test this issue, we analyzed human ECoG recorded during a game-like, one-dimensional, continuous motor task with a novel decoding method suitable for unfolding magnitude and phase explicitly into a complex-valued, time-frequency signal representation, enabling quantification of the decodable information within the temporal, spatial and frequency domains and allowing disambiguation of the phase contribution from that of the spectral magnitude. The decoding accuracy based only on phase information was substantially (at least 2 fold and significantly higher than that based only on magnitudes for position, velocity and acceleration. The frequency profile of movement-related information in the ECoG data matched well with the frequency profile expected when assuming a close time-domain correlate of movement velocity in the ECoG, e.g., a (noisy copy of hand velocity. No such match was observed with the frequency profiles expected when assuming a copy of either hand position or acceleration. There was also no indication of additional magnitude-based mechanisms encoding movement information in the LFC range. Thus, our study contributes to elucidating the nature of the informative low-frequency component of motor cortical population activity and may hence contribute to improve decoding strategies and BMI performance.

The Low Pitch of High-Frequency Complex Tones Relies on Temporal Fine Structure Information

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Santurette, Sébastien; Dau, Torsten

2010-01-01

High-frequency complex tones containing only unresolved harmonic components with a frequency spacing Δf usually evoke a low pitch equal to Δf. However, for inharmonic components, the low pitch is often found to deviate slightly from Δf. Whether this pitch shift relies exclusively on temporal fine...... structure (TFS) cues has been a matter of debate. It is also controversial up to which frequency TFS information remains available, and to what extent envelope cues become dominant as frequency increases. Using a pitch-matching paradigm, this study investigated whether the pitch of transposed tones.......5]. All stimuli were presented at 50 dB SPL in broadband pink-noise (13.5 dB/Hz at 1 kHz), and 40 matches per condition were obtained. For fenv = fc/11.5, the results favored hypothesis A for all values of fc, indicating that TFS cues are available and used for pitch extraction, up to at least 7 k...

No Change in Running Mechanics With Live High-Train Low Altitude Training in Elite Distance Runners.

Science.gov (United States)

Stickford, Abigail S L; Wilhite, Daniel P; Chapman, Robert F

2017-01-01

Investigations into ventilatory, metabolic, and hematological changes with altitude training have been completed; however, there is a lack of research exploring potential gait-kinematic changes after altitude training, despite a common complaint of athletes being a lack of leg "turnover" on return from altitude training. To determine if select kinematic variables changed in a group of elite distance runners after 4 wk of altitude training. Six elite male distance runners completed a 28-d altitude-training intervention in Flagstaff, AZ (2150 m), following a modified "live high-train low" model, wherein higherintensity runs were performed at lower altitudes (945-1150 m) and low-intensity sessions were completed at higher altitudes (1950-2850 m). Gait parameters were measured 2-9 d before departure to altitude and 1 to 2 d after returning to sea level at running speeds of 300-360 m/min. No differences were found in ground-contact time, swing time, or stride length or frequency after altitude training (P > .05). Running mechanics are not affected by chronic altitude training in elite distance runners. The data suggest that either chronic training at altitude truly has no effect on running mechanics or completing the live high-train low model of altitude training, where higher-velocity workouts are completed at lower elevations, mitigates any negative mechanical adaptations that may be associated with chronic training at slower speeds.

Source mechanism of volcanic tremor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferrick, M.G.; Qamar, A.; St. Lawrence, W.F.

1982-10-10

Low-frequency (<10 Hz) volcanic earthquakes originate at a wide range of depths and occur before, during, and after magmatic eruptions. The characteristics of these earthquakes suggest that they are not typical tectonic events. Physically analogous processes occur in hydraulic fracturing of rock formations, low-frequency icequakes in temperate glaciers, and autoresonance in hydroelectric power stations. We propose that unsteady fluid flow in volcanic conduits is the common source mechanism of low-frequency volcanic earthquakes (tremor). The fluid dynamic source mechanism explains low-frequency earthquakes of arbitrary duration, magnitude, and depth of origin, as unsteady flow is independent of physical properties of the fluid and conduit. Fluid transients occur in both low-viscosity gases and high-viscosity liquids. A fluid transient analysis can be formulated as generally as is warranted by knowledge of the composition and physical properties of the fluid, material properties, geometry and roughness of the conduit, and boundary conditions. To demonstrate the analytical potential of the fluid dynamic theory, we consider a single-phase fluid, a melt of Mount Hood andesite at 1250/sup 0/C, in which significant pressure and velocity variations occur only in the longitudinal direction. Further simplification of the conservation of mass and momentum equations presents an eigenvalue problem that is solved to determine the natural frequencies and associated damping of flow and pressure oscillations.

Comparison between conventional protective mechanical ventilation and high-frequency oscillatory ventilation associated with the prone position.

Science.gov (United States)

Fioretto, José Roberto; Klefens, Susiane Oliveira; Pires, Rafaelle Fernandes; Kurokawa, Cilmery Suemi; Carpi, Mario Ferreira; Bonatto, Rossano César; Moraes, Marcos Aurélio; Ronchi, Carlos Fernando

2017-01-01

To compare the effects of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation and conventional protective mechanical ventilation associated with the prone position on oxygenation, histology and pulmonary oxidative damage in an experimental model of acute lung injury. Forty-five rabbits with tracheostomy and vascular access were underwent mechanical ventilation. Acute lung injury was induced by tracheal infusion of warm saline. Three experimental groups were formed: healthy animals + conventional protective mechanical ventilation, supine position (Control Group; n = 15); animals with acute lung injury + conventional protective mechanical ventilation, prone position (CMVG; n = 15); and animals with acute lung injury + high-frequency oscillatory ventilation, prone position (HFOG; n = 15). Ten minutes after the beginning of the specific ventilation of each group, arterial gasometry was collected, with this timepoint being called time zero, after which the animal was placed in prone position and remained in this position for 4 hours. Oxidative stress was evaluated by the total antioxidant performance assay. Pulmonary tissue injury was determined by histopathological score. The level of significance was 5%. Both groups with acute lung injury showed worsening of oxygenation after induction of injury compared with the Control Group. After 4 hours, there was a significant improvement in oxygenation in the HFOG group compared with CMVG. Analysis of total antioxidant performance in plasma showed greater protection in HFOG. HFOG had a lower histopathological lesion score in lung tissue than CMVG. High-frequency oscillatory ventilation, associated with prone position, improves oxygenation and attenuates oxidative damage and histopathological lung injury compared with conventional protective mechanical ventilation.

Adjuvant low-frequency rTMS in treating auditory hallucinations in recent-onset schizophrenia: a randomized controlled study investigating the effect of high-frequency priming stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ray, Prasenjit; Sinha, Vinod Kumar; Tikka, Sai Krishna

2015-01-01

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been found to be effective in reducing frequency and duration of auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH). Priming stimulation, which involves high-frequency rTMS stimulation followed by low-frequency rTMS, has been shown to markedly enhance the neural response to the low-frequency stimulation train. However, this technique has not been investigated in recent onset schizophrenia patients. The aim of this randomized controlled study was to investigate whether the effects of rTMS on AVH can be enhanced with priming rTMS in recent onset schizophrenia patients. Forty recent onset schizophrenia patients completed the study. Patients were randomized over two groups: one receiving low-frequency rTMS preceded by priming and another receiving low-frequency rTMS without priming. Both treatments were directed at the left temporo-parietal region. The severity of AVH and other psychotic symptoms were assessed with the auditory hallucination subscale (AHRS) of the Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales (PSYRATS), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Clinical Global Impression (CGI). We found that all the scores of these ratings significantly reduced over time (i.e. baseline through 1, 2, 4 and 6 weeks) in both the treatment groups. We found no difference between the two groups on all measures, except for significantly greater improvement on loudness of AVH in the group with priming stimulation during the follow-ups (F = 2.72; p low-frequency rTMS alone and high-frequency priming of low-frequency rTMS do not elicit significant differences in treatment of overall psychopathology, particularly AVH when given in recent onset schizophrenia patients. Add on priming however, seems to be particularly better in faster reduction in loudness of AVH.

High frequency mechanical ventilation affects respiratory system mechanics differently in C57BL/6J and BALB/c adult mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Hadden, Hélène

2013-01-15

We tested the hypothesis that high frequency ventilation affects respiratory system mechanical functions in C57BL/6J and BALB/c mice. We measured respiratory mechanics by the forced oscillation technique over 1h in anesthetized, intubated, ventilated BALB/c and C57BL/6J male mice. We did not detect any change in airway resistance, Rn, tissue damping, G, tissue elastance, H and hysteresivity, eta in BALB/c mice during 1h of ventilation at 150 or at 450 breaths/min; nor did we find a difference between BALB/c mice ventilated at 150 breaths/min compared with 450 breaths/min. Among C57BL/6J mice, except for H, all parameters remained unchanged over 1h of ventilation in mice ventilated at 150 breaths/min. However, after 10 and 30 min of ventilation at 450 breaths/min, Rn, and respiratory system compliance were lower, and eta was higher, than their starting value. We conclude that high frequency mechanical ventilation affects respiratory system mechanics differently in C57BL/6J and BALB/c adult mice. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

On low-frequency errors of uniformly modulated filtered white-noise models for ground motions

Science.gov (United States)

Safak, Erdal; Boore, David M.

1988-01-01

Low-frequency errors of a commonly used non-stationary stochastic model (uniformly modulated filtered white-noise model) for earthquake ground motions are investigated. It is shown both analytically and by numerical simulation that uniformly modulated filter white-noise-type models systematically overestimate the spectral response for periods longer than the effective duration of the earthquake, because of the built-in low-frequency errors in the model. The errors, which are significant for low-magnitude short-duration earthquakes, can be eliminated by using the filtered shot-noise-type models (i. e. white noise, modulated by the envelope first, and then filtered).

Draft evaluation of the frequency for gas sampling for the high burnup confirmatory data project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stockman, Christine T. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Alsaed, Halim A. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Bryan, Charles R. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2015-03-26

This report fulfills the M3 milestone M3FT-15SN0802041, “Draft Evaluation of the Frequency for Gas Sampling for the High Burn-up Storage Demonstration Project” under Work Package FT-15SN080204, “ST Field Demonstration Support – SNL”. This report provides a technically based gas sampling frequency strategy for the High Burnup (HBU) Confirmatory Data Project. The evaluation of: 1) the types and magnitudes of gases that could be present in the project cask and, 2) the degradation mechanisms that could change gas compositions culminates in an adaptive gas sampling frequency strategy. This adaptive strategy is compared against the sampling frequency that has been developed based on operational considerations. Gas sampling will provide information on the presence of residual water (and byproducts associated with its reactions and decomposition) and breach of cladding, which could inform the decision of when to open the project cask.

Low frequency sawtooth precursor activity in ASDEX Upgrade

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Papp, G; Pokol, G I; Por, G; Magyarkuti, A; Lazanyi, N; Horvath, L [Department of Nuclear Techniques, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Association EURATOM, Pf 91, H-1521 Budapest (Hungary); Igochine, V; Maraschek, M, E-mail: papp@reak.bme.h [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik, Association EURATOM, D-85748 Garching (Germany)

2011-06-15

This paper describes the precursor activity observed in the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak before sawtooth crashes in various neutral beam heated plasmas, utilizing the soft x-ray diagnostic. In addition to the well-known (m, n) = (1,1) internal kink mode and its harmonics, a lower frequency mode is studied in detail. Power modulation of this mode is found to correlate with the power modulation of the (1, 1) kink mode in the quasistationary intervals indicating possible nonlinear interaction. Throughout the studied sawtooth crashes, the power of the lower frequency mode rose by several orders of magnitude just before the crash. In addition to its temporal behaviour, its spatial structure was estimated and the most likely value was found to be (1, 1). A possible role of this mode in the mechanism of the sawtooth crash is discussed.

Low frequency sawtooth precursor activity in ASDEX Upgrade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papp, G; Pokol, G I; Por, G; Magyarkuti, A; Lazanyi, N; Horvath, L; Igochine, V; Maraschek, M

2011-01-01

This paper describes the precursor activity observed in the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak before sawtooth crashes in various neutral beam heated plasmas, utilizing the soft x-ray diagnostic. In addition to the well-known (m, n) = (1,1) internal kink mode and its harmonics, a lower frequency mode is studied in detail. Power modulation of this mode is found to correlate with the power modulation of the (1, 1) kink mode in the quasistationary intervals indicating possible nonlinear interaction. Throughout the studied sawtooth crashes, the power of the lower frequency mode rose by several orders of magnitude just before the crash. In addition to its temporal behaviour, its spatial structure was estimated and the most likely value was found to be (1, 1). A possible role of this mode in the mechanism of the sawtooth crash is discussed.

Thermal-hydraulic oscillations in a low pressure two-phase natural circulation loop at low powers and high inlet subcoolings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, S.B.; Wu, J.Y.; Chin Pan; Lin, W.K.

2004-01-01

The stability of a natural circulation boiling loop is of great importance and interests for both academic researches and many industrial applications, such as next generation boiling water reactors. The present study investigated the thermal-hydraulic oscillation behavior in a low pressure two-phase natural circulation loop at low powers and high inlet subcoolings. The experiments were conducted at atmospheric pressure with heating power ranging from 4 to 8 kW and inlet subcooling ranging from 27 to 75 deg. C. Significant oscillations in loop mass flow rate, pressure drop in each section, and heated wall and fluid temperatures are present for all the cases studied here. The oscillation is typically quasi-periodic and with flow reversal with magnitudes smaller than forward flows. The magnitude of wall temperature oscillation could be as high as 60 deg. C, which will be of serious concern for practical applications. It is found that the first fundamental oscillation (large magnitude oscillation) frequency increases with increase in heated power and with decrease in inlet subcooling. (author)

Bendable, low-loss Topas fibers for the terahertz frequency range

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Kristian; Rasmussen, Henrik K.; Adam, Aurèle J.L.

2009-01-01

structure proves that the fiber is single-moded over a wide frequency range, and we see the onset of higher-order modes at high frequencies as well as indication of microporous guiding at low frequencies and high porosity of the fiber. Transmission spectroscopy demonstrates low-loss propagation (

Fabrication and characterization of non-resonant magneto-mechanical low-frequency vibration energy harvester

Science.gov (United States)

Nammari, Abdullah; Caskey, Logan; Negrete, Johnny; Bardaweel, Hamzeh

2018-03-01

This article presents a non-resonant magneto-mechanical vibration energy harvester. When externally excited, the energy harvester converts vibrations into electric charge using a guided levitated magnet oscillating inside a multi-turn coil that is fixed around the exterior of the energy harvester. The levitated magnet is guided using four oblique mechanical springs. A prototype of the energy harvester is fabricated using additive manufacturing. Both experiment and model are used to characterize the static and dynamic behavior of the energy harvester. Measured restoring forces show that the fabricated energy harvester retains a mono-stable potential energy well with desired stiffness nonlinearities. Results show that magnetic spring results in hardening effect which increases the resonant frequency of the energy harvester. Additionally, oblique mechanical springs introduce geometric, negative, nonlinear stiffness which improves the harvester's response towards lower frequency spectrum. The unique design can produce a tunable energy harvester with multi-well potential energy characteristics. A finite element model is developed to estimate the average radial flux density experienced by the multi-turn coil. Also, a lumped parameter model of the energy harvester is developed and validated against measured data. Both upward and downward frequency sweeps are performed to determine the frequency response of the harvester. Results show that at higher excitation levels hardening effects become more apparent, and the system dynamic response turns into non-resonant. Frequency response curves exhibit frequency jump phenomena as a result of coexistence of multiple energy states at the frequency branch. The fabricated energy harvester is hand-held and measures approximately 100.5 [cm3] total volume. For a base excitation of 1.0 g [m/s2], the prototype generates a peak voltage and normalized power density of approximately 3.5 [V] and 0.133 [mW/cm3 g2], respectively, at 15.5 [Hz].

Advances in Computational High-Resolution Mechanical Spectroscopy HRMS Part II: Resonant Frequency – Young's Modulus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majewski, M; Magalas, L B

2012-01-01

In this paper, we compare the values of the resonant frequency f 0 of free decaying oscillations computed according to the parametric OMI method (Optimization in Multiple Intervals) and nonparametric DFT-based (discrete Fourier transform) methods as a function of the sampling frequency. The analysis is carried out for free decaying signals embedded in an experimental noise recorded for metallic samples in a low-frequency resonant mechanical spectrometer. The Yoshida method (Y), the Agrez' method (A), and new interpolated discrete Fourier transform (IpDFT) methods, that is, the Yoshida-Magalas (YM) and (YM C ) methods developed by the authors are carefully compared for the resonant frequency f 0 = 1.12345 Hz and the logarithmic decrement, δ = 0.0005. Precise estimation of the resonant frequency (Youngs' modulus ∼ f 0 2 ) for real experimental conditions, i.e., for exponentially damped harmonic signals embedded in an experimental noise, is a complex task. In this work, various computing methods are analyzed as a function of the sampling frequency used to digitize free decaying oscillations. The importance of computing techniques to obtain reliable and precise values of the resonant frequency (i.e. Young's modulus) in materials science is emphasized.

Mechanical Components from Highly Recoverable, Low Apparent Modulus Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Padula, Santo, II (Inventor); Noebe, Ronald D. (Inventor); Stanford, Malcolm K. (Inventor); DellaCorte, Christopher (Inventor)

2015-01-01

A material for use as a mechanical component is formed of a superelastic intermetallic material having a low apparent modulus and a high hardness. The superelastic intermetallic material is conditioned to be dimensionally stable, devoid of any shape memory effect and have a stable superelastic response without irrecoverable deformation while exhibiting strains of at least 3%. The method of conditioning the superelastic intermetallic material is described. Another embodiment relates to lightweight materials known as ordered intermetallics that perform well in sliding wear applications using conventional liquid lubricants and are therefore suitable for resilient, high performance mechanical components such as gears and bearings.

The frequency dependence of friction in experiment, theory, and observations of low frequency earthquakes

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, A.; Beeler, N. M.; Burgmann, R.; Shelly, D. R.

2011-12-01

Low frequency earthquakes (LFEs) are small amplitude, short duration events composing tectonic tremor, probably generated by shear slip on asperities downdip of the seismogenic zone. In Parkfield, Shelly and Hardebeck [2010] have identified 88 LFE families, or hypocentral locations, that contain over half a million LFEs since 2001 on a 160-km-long section of the San Andreas fault between 16 and 30 km depth. A number of studies have demonstrated the extreme sensitivity of low frequency earthquakes (LFEs) near Parkfield to stress changes ranging from contingent upon the amplitude and frequency content of the applied stress. We attempt to test this framework by comparing observations of LFEs triggered in response to stresses spanning several orders of magnitude in both frequency and amplitude (e.g. tides, teleseismic surface waves, static stress changes, etc.) to the predicted response of a single degree of freedom slider block model with rate and state dependent strength. The sensitivity of failure time in the friction model as developed in previous studies does not distinguish between shear and normal stresses; laboratory experiments show a more complicated sensitivity of failure time to normal stress change than in the published model. Because the shear and normal tidal stresses at Parkfield have different amplitudes and are not in phase, we have modified the model to include the expected sensitivity to normal stress. Our prior investigations of the response of both regular and low frequency earthquakes to tidal stresses [Thomas et al., 2009; Shelly and Johnson, 2011] are qualitatively consistent with the predictions of the friction model , as both the timing and degree (probability) of correlation are in agreement.

Compliance of the Vaalputs national radioactive waste disposal facility to a frequency-magnitude release criterion as required for licensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adrian, H.W.W.; Gerber, H.H.; Kruger, J.; Weygand, J.

1986-01-01

Accidental releases of radioactivity from the Vaalputs nuclear waste repository have been quantified and release frequencies have been attached to a number of accident scenarios of human or natural origin. These have then been compared to a frequency-magnitude release criterion according to South African licensing requirements. It was shown that the criterion was applicable in three release bands. In two of these the criterion was met by some orders of magnitude. In the third band the permitted release frequency was a factor 55 below the limit in spite of pessimistic release assumptions

Low and High-Frequency Field Potentials of Cortical Networks ...

Science.gov (United States)

Neural networks grown on microelectrode arrays (MEAs) have become an important, high content in vitro assay for assessing neuronal function. MEA experiments typically examine high- frequency (HF) (>200 Hz) spikes, and bursts which can be used to discriminate between different pharmacological agents/chemicals. However, normal brain activity is additionally composed of integrated low-frequency (0.5-100 Hz) field potentials (LFPs) which are filtered out of MEA recordings. The objective of this study was to characterize the relationship between HF and LFP neural network signals, and to assess the relative sensitivity of LFPs to selected neurotoxicants. Rat primary cortical cultures were grown on glass, single-well MEA chips. Spontaneous activity was sampled at 25 kHz and recorded (5 min) (Multi-Channel Systems) from mature networks (14 days in vitro). HF (spike, mean firing rate, MFR) and LF (power spectrum, amplitude) components were extracted from each network and served as its baseline (BL). Next, each chip was treated with either 1) a positive control, bicuculline (BIC, 25μM) or domoic acid (DA, 0.3μM), 2) or a negative control, acetaminophen (ACE, 100μM) or glyphosate (GLY, 100μM), 3) a solvent control (H2O or DMSO:EtOH), or 4) a neurotoxicant, (carbaryl, CAR 5, 30μM ; lindane, LIN 1, 10μM; permethrin, PERM 25, 50μM; triadimefon, TRI 5, 65μM). Post treatment, 5 mins of spontaneous activity was recorded and analyzed. As expected posit

Combining Earthquake Focal Mechanism Inversion and Coulomb Friction Law to Yield Tectonic Stress Magnitudes in Strike-slip Faulting Regime

Science.gov (United States)

Soh, I.; Chang, C.

2017-12-01

The techniques for estimating present-day stress states by inverting multiple earthquake focal mechanism solutions (FMS) provide orientations of the three principal stresses and their relative magnitudes. In order to estimate absolute magnitudes of the stresses that are generally required to analyze faulting mechanics, we combine the relative stress magnitude parameter (R-value) derived from the inversion process and the concept of frictional equilibrium of stress state defined by Coulomb friction law. The stress inversion in Korean Peninsula using 152 FMS data (magnitude≥2.5) conducted at regularly spaced grid points yields a consistent strike-slip faulting regime in which the maximum (S1) and the minimum (S3) principal stresses act in horizontal planes (with an S1 azimuth in ENE-WSW) and the intermediate principal stress (S2) close to vertical. However, R-value varies from 0.28 to 0.75 depending on locations, systematically increasing eastward. Based on the assumptions that the vertical stress is lithostatic, pore pressure is hydrostatic, and the maximum differential stress (S1-S3) is limited by Byerlee's friction of optimally oriented faults for slip, we estimate absolute magnitudes of the two horizontal principal stresses using R-value. As R-value increases, so do the magnitudes of the horizontal stresses. Our estimation of the stress magnitudes shows that the maximum horizontal principal stress (S1) normalized by vertical stress tends to increase from 1.3 in the west to 1.8 in the east. The estimated variation of stress magnitudes is compatible with distinct clustering of faulting types in different regions. Normal faulting events are densely populated in the west region where the horizontal stress is relatively low, whereas numerous reverse faulting events prevail in the east offshore where the horizontal stress is relatively high. Such a characteristic distribution of distinct faulting types in different regions can only be explained in terms of stress

Mechanical low-frequency filter via modes separation in 3D periodic structures

Science.gov (United States)

D'Alessandro, L.; Belloni, E.; Ardito, R.; Braghin, F.; Corigliano, A.

2017-12-01

This work presents a strategy to design three-dimensional elastic periodic structures endowed with complete bandgaps, the first of which is ultra-wide, where the top limits of the first two bandgaps are overstepped in terms of wave transmission in the finite structure. Thus, subsequent bandgaps are merged, approaching the behaviour of a three-dimensional low-pass mechanical filter. This result relies on a proper organization of the modal characteristics, and it is validated by performing numerical and analytical calculations over the unit cell. A prototype of the analysed layout, made of Nylon by means of additive manufacturing, is experimentally tested to assess the transmission spectrum of the finite structure, obtaining good agreement with numerical predictions. The presented strategy paves the way for the development of a class of periodic structures to be used in robust and reliable wave attenuation over a wide frequency band.

Synchronization of low- and high-threshold motor units.

Science.gov (United States)

Defreitas, Jason M; Beck, Travis W; Ye, Xin; Stock, Matt S

2014-04-01

We examined the degree of synchronization for both low- and high-threshold motor unit (MU) pairs at high force levels. MU spike trains were recorded from the quadriceps during high-force isometric leg extensions. Short-term synchronization (between -6 and 6 ms) was calculated for every unique MU pair for each contraction. At high force levels, earlier recruited motor unit pairs (low-threshold) demonstrated relatively low levels of short-term synchronization (approximately 7.3% extra firings than would have been expected by chance). However, the magnitude of synchronization increased significantly and linearly with mean recruitment threshold (reaching 22.1% extra firings for motor unit pairs recruited above 70% MVC). Three potential mechanisms that could explain the observed differences in synchronization across motor unit types are proposed and discussed. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Comparison of pulse characteristic of low frequency ultrasonic probes for concrete application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amry Amin Abas; Suhairy Sani; Muhammad Pauzi Ismail

2006-01-01

Ultrasonic testing of concrete or large volume of composites usually is done in low frequency range. To obtain low frequency pulse, a low frequency pulser/receiver is used attached to a low frequency probe as transmitter/receiver. Concrete is highly attenuative and a high energy pulse is essential to ensure good penetration of test samples. High energy pulse can be obtained by producing low frequency ultrasonic waves.To achieve high penetration in concrete, a low frequency probe is fabricated with the centre frequency lying at around 100 kHz. The probe is fabricated with single crystal of 18 mm thickness without any backing material to obtain wider pulse and higher pulse power. Then, comparison of pulse characteristic is done between the fabricated probe and a commercially available probe to determine the quality of the probe fabricated. (Author)

Perovskite oxynitride LaTiO{sub x}N{sub y} thin films: Dielectric characterization in low and high frequencies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu, Y.; Ziani, A. [Institut d' Electronique et de Telecommunications de Rennes (IETR) UMR-CNRS 6164, groupe ' Antennes et Hyperfrequences' , University of Rennes 1, UEB, IUT Saint Brieuc, 18 rue Henri Wallon, 22004 Saint Brieuc cedex (France); Le Paven-Thivet, C., E-mail: claire.lepaven@univ-rennes1.fr [Institut d' Electronique et de Telecommunications de Rennes (IETR) UMR-CNRS 6164, groupe ' Antennes et Hyperfrequences' , University of Rennes 1, UEB, IUT Saint Brieuc, 18 rue Henri Wallon, 22004 Saint Brieuc cedex (France); Benzerga, R.; Le Gendre, L. [Institut d' Electronique et de Telecommunications de Rennes (IETR) UMR-CNRS 6164, groupe ' Antennes et Hyperfrequences' , University of Rennes 1, UEB, IUT Saint Brieuc, 18 rue Henri Wallon, 22004 Saint Brieuc cedex (France); Fasquelle, D. [Laboratoire d' Etude des Materiaux et des Composants pour l' Electronique (LEMCEL) UPRES-EA 2601, University of Littoral-Cote d' Opale, 50 rue Ferdinand Buisson, F-62228 Calais cedex (France); Kassem, H. [Laboratoire de l' Integration du Materiau au Systeme(IMS) UMR-CNRS 5218, groupe Materiaux, University of Bordeaux 1, 16 avenue Pey-Berland, 33607 Pessac (France); and others

2011-11-01

Lanthanum titanium oxynitride (LaTiO{sub x}N{sub y}) thin films are studied with respect to their dielectric properties in low and high frequencies. Thin films are deposited by radio frequency magnetron sputtering on different substrates. Effects of nitrogen content and crystalline quality on dielectric properties are investigated. In low-frequency range, textured LaTiO{sub x}N{sub y} thin films deposited on conductive single crystal Nb-STO show a dielectric constant {epsilon} Prime Almost-Equal-To 140 with low losses tan{delta} = 0.012 at 100 kHz. For the LaTiO{sub x}N{sub y} polycrystalline films deposited on conductive silicon substrates with platinum (Pt/Ti/SiO{sub 2}/Si), the tunability reached up to 57% for a weak electric field of 50 kV/cm. In high-frequency range, epitaxial LaTiO{sub x}N{sub y} films deposited on MgO substrate present a high dielectric constant with low losses ({epsilon} Prime Almost-Equal-To 170, tan{delta} = 0.011, 12 GHz).

High-magnitude head impact exposure in youth football

Science.gov (United States)

Campolettano, Eamon T.; Gellner, Ryan A.; Rowson, Steven

2018-01-01

OBJECTIVE Even in the absence of a clinically diagnosed concussion, research suggests that neurocognitive changes may develop in football players as a result of frequent head impacts that occur during football games and practices. The objectives of this study were to determine the specific situations in which high-magnitude impacts (accelerations exceeding 40g) occur in youth football games and practices and to assess how representative practice activities are of games with regard to high-magnitude head impact exposure. METHODS A total of 45 players (mean age 10.7 ± 1.1 years) on 2 youth teams (Juniors [mean age 9.9 ± 0.6 years; mean body mass 38.9 ± 9.9 kg] and Seniors [mean age 11.9 ± 0.6 years; mean body mass 51.4 ± 11.8 kg]) wore helmets instrumented with accelerometer arrays to record head impact accelerations for all practices and games. Video recordings from practices and games were used to verify all high-magnitude head impacts, identify specific impact characteristics, and determine the amount of time spent in each activity. RESULTS A total of 7590 impacts were recorded, of which 571 resulted in high-magnitude head impact accelerations exceeding 40g (8%). Impacts were characterized based on the position played by the team member who received the impact, the part of the field where the impact occurred, whether the impact occurred during a game or practice play, and the cause of the impact. High-magnitude impacts occurred most frequently in the open field in both games (59.4%) and practices (67.5%). “Back” position players experienced a greater proportion of high-magnitude head impacts than players at other positions. The 2 teams in this study structured their practice sessions similarly with respect to time spent in each drill, but impact rates differed for each drill between the teams. CONCLUSIONS High-magnitude head impact exposure in games and practice drills was quantified and used as the basis for comparison of exposure in the 2 settings. In

Surface chemical structure of poly(ethylene naphthalate) films during degradation in low-pressure high-frequency plasma treatments

Science.gov (United States)

Kamata, Noritsugu; Yuji, Toshifumi; Thungsuk, Nuttee; Arunrungrusmi, Somchai; Chansri, Pakpoom; Kinoshita, Hiroyuki; Mungkung, Narong

2018-06-01

The surface chemical structure of poly(ethylene naphthalate) (PEN) films treated with a low-pressure, high-frequency plasma was investigated by storing in a box at room temperature to protect the PEN film surface from dust. The functional groups on the PEN film surface changed over time. The functional groups of –C=O, –COH, and –COOH were abundant in the Ar + O2 mixture gas plasma-treated PEN samples as compared with those in untreated PEN samples. The changes occurred rapidly after 2 d following the plasma treatment, reaching steady states 8 d after the treatment. Hydrophobicity had an inverse relationship with the concentration of these functional groups on the surface. Thus, the effect of the low-pressure high-frequency plasma treatment on PEN varies as a function of storage time. This means that radical oxygen and oxygen molecules are clearly generated in the plasma, and this is one index to confirm that radical reaction has definitely occurred between the gas and the PEN film surface with a low-pressure high-frequency plasma.

Low and high frequency asymptotics acoustic, electromagnetic and elastic wave scattering

CERN Document Server

Varadan, VK

2013-01-01

This volume focuses on asymptotic methods in the low and high frequency limits for the solution of scattering and propagation problems. Each chapter is pedagogical in nature, starting with the basic foundations and ending with practical applications. For example, using the Geometrical Theory of Diffraction, the canonical problem of edge diffraction is first solved and then used in solving the problem of diffraction by a finite crack. In recent times, the crack problem has been of much interest for its applications to Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) of flaws in structural materials.

Development and validation of a low-frequency modeling code for high-moment transmitter rod antennas

Science.gov (United States)

Jordan, Jared Williams; Sternberg, Ben K.; Dvorak, Steven L.

2009-12-01

The goal of this research is to develop and validate a low-frequency modeling code for high-moment transmitter rod antennas to aid in the design of future low-frequency TX antennas with high magnetic moments. To accomplish this goal, a quasi-static modeling algorithm was developed to simulate finite-length, permeable-core, rod antennas. This quasi-static analysis is applicable for low frequencies where eddy currents are negligible, and it can handle solid or hollow cores with winding insulation thickness between the antenna's windings and its core. The theory was programmed in Matlab, and the modeling code has the ability to predict the TX antenna's gain, maximum magnetic moment, saturation current, series inductance, and core series loss resistance, provided the user enters the corresponding complex permeability for the desired core magnetic flux density. In order to utilize the linear modeling code to model the effects of nonlinear core materials, it is necessary to use the correct complex permeability for a specific core magnetic flux density. In order to test the modeling code, we demonstrated that it can accurately predict changes in the electrical parameters associated with variations in the rod length and the core thickness for antennas made out of low carbon steel wire. These tests demonstrate that the modeling code was successful in predicting the changes in the rod antenna characteristics under high-current nonlinear conditions due to changes in the physical dimensions of the rod provided that the flux density in the core was held constant in order to keep the complex permeability from changing.

Earless toads sense low frequencies but miss the high notes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Womack, Molly C; Christensen-Dalsgaard, Jakob; Coloma, Luis A

2017-01-01

Sensory losses or reductions are frequently attributed to relaxed selection. However, anuran species have lost tympanic middle ears many times, despite anurans' use of acoustic communication and the benefit of middle ears for hearing airborne sound. Here we determine whether pre-existing alternat......Sensory losses or reductions are frequently attributed to relaxed selection. However, anuran species have lost tympanic middle ears many times, despite anurans' use of acoustic communication and the benefit of middle ears for hearing airborne sound. Here we determine whether pre......-existing alternative sensory pathways enable anurans lacking tympanic middle ears (termed earless anurans) to hear airborne sound as well as eared species or to better sense vibrations in the environment. We used auditory brainstem recordings to compare hearing and vibrational sensitivity among 10 species (six eared......, four earless) within the Neotropical true toad family (Bufonidae). We found that species lacking middle ears are less sensitive to high-frequency sounds, however, low-frequency hearing and vibrational sensitivity are equivalent between eared and earless species. Furthermore, extratympanic hearing...

LOW-FREQUENCY QUASI-PERIODIC OSCILLATION FROM THE 11 Hz ACCRETING PULSAR IN TERZAN 5: NOT FRAME DRAGGING

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altamirano, D.; Van der Klis, M.; Wijnands, R.; Ingram, A.; Linares, M.; Homan, J.

2012-01-01

We report on six RXTE observations taken during the 2010 outburst of the 11 Hz accreting pulsar IGR J17480–2446 located in the globular cluster Terzan 5. During these observations we find power spectra which resemble those seen in Z-type high-luminosity neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries, with a quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) in the 35-50 Hz range simultaneous with a kHz QPO and broadband noise. Using well-known frequency-frequency correlations, we identify the 35-50 Hz QPOs as the horizontal branch oscillations, which were previously suggested to be due to Lense-Thirring (LT) precession. As IGR J17480–2446 spins more than an order of magnitude more slowly than any of the other neutron stars where these QPOs were found, this QPO cannot be explained by frame dragging. By extension, this casts doubt on the LT precession model for other low-frequency QPOs in neutron stars and perhaps even black hole systems.

Low-frequency Quasi-periodic Oscillation from the 11 Hz Accreting Pulsar in Terzan 5: Not Frame Dragging

Science.gov (United States)

Altamirano, D.; Ingram, A.; van der Klis, M.; Wijnands, R.; Linares, M.; Homan, J.

2012-11-01

We report on six RXTE observations taken during the 2010 outburst of the 11 Hz accreting pulsar IGR J17480-2446 located in the globular cluster Terzan 5. During these observations we find power spectra which resemble those seen in Z-type high-luminosity neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries, with a quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) in the 35-50 Hz range simultaneous with a kHz QPO and broadband noise. Using well-known frequency-frequency correlations, we identify the 35-50 Hz QPOs as the horizontal branch oscillations, which were previously suggested to be due to Lense-Thirring (LT) precession. As IGR J17480-2446 spins more than an order of magnitude more slowly than any of the other neutron stars where these QPOs were found, this QPO cannot be explained by frame dragging. By extension, this casts doubt on the LT precession model for other low-frequency QPOs in neutron stars and perhaps even black hole systems.

Low-frequency wideband vibration energy harvesting by using frequency up-conversion and quin-stable nonlinearity

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chen; Zhang, Qichang; Wang, Wei

2017-07-01

This work presents models and experiments of an impact-driven and frequency up-converted wideband piezoelectric-based vibration energy harvester with a quintuple-well potential induced by the combination effect of magnetic nonlinearity and mechanical piecewise-linearity. Analysis shows that the interwell motions during coupled vibration period enable to increase electrical power output in comparison to conventional frequency up-conversion technology. Besides, the quintuple-well potential with shallower potential wells could extend the harvester's operating bandwidth to lower frequencies. Experiments demonstrate our proposed approach can dramatically boost the measured power of the energy harvester as much as 35 times while its lower cut-off frequency is two times lower than that of a conventional counterpart. These results reveal our proposed approach shows promise for powering portable wireless smart devices from low-intensity, low-frequency vibration sources.

Frequency-dependent spatiotemporal profiles of visual responses recorded with subdural ECoG electrodes in awake monkeys: Differences between high- and low-frequency activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Takaura, Kana; Tsuchiya, Naotsugu; Fujii, Naotaka

2016-01-01

Electrocorticography (ECoG) constitutes a powerful and promising neural recording modality in humans and animals. ECoG signals are often decomposed into several frequency bands, among which the so-called high-gamma band (80-250Hz) has been proposed to reflect local cortical functions near the cortical surface below the ECoG electrodes. It is typically assumed that the lower the frequency bands, the lower the spatial resolution of the signals; thus, there is not much to gain by analyzing the event-related changes of the ECoG signals in the lower-frequency bands. However, differences across frequency bands have not been systematically investigated. To address this issue, we recorded ECoG activity from two awake monkeys performing a retinotopic mapping task. We characterized the spatiotemporal profiles of the visual responses in the time-frequency domain. We defined the preferred spatial position, receptive field (RF), and response latencies of band-limited power (BLP) (i.e., alpha [3.9-11.7Hz], beta [15.6-23.4Hz], low [30-80Hz] and high [80-250Hz] gamma) for each electrode and compared them across bands and time-domain visual evoked potentials (VEPs). At the population level, we found that the spatial preferences were comparable across bands and VEPs. The high-gamma power showed a smaller RF than the other bands and VEPs. The response latencies for the alpha band were always longer than the latencies for the other bands and fastest in VEPs. Comparing the response profiles in both space and time for each cortical region (V1, V4+, and TEO/TE) revealed regional idiosyncrasies. Although the latencies of visual responses in the beta, low-, and high-gamma bands were almost identical in V1 and V4+, beta and low-gamma BLP occurred about 17ms earlier than high-gamma power in TEO/TE. Furthermore, TEO/TE exhibited a unique pattern in the spatial response profile: the alpha and high-gamma responses tended to prefer the foveal regions, whereas the beta and low-gamma responses

High-resolution low-frequency fluctuation map of a multimode laser diode subject to filtered optical feedback via a fiber Bragg grating.

Science.gov (United States)

Baladi, Fadwa; Lee, Min Won; Burie, Jean-René; Bettiati, Mauro A; Boudrioua, Azzedine; Fischer, Alexis P A

2016-07-01

A highly detailed and extended map of low-frequency fluctuations is established for a high-power multi-mode 980 nm laser diode subject to filtered optical feedback from a fiber Bragg grating. The low-frequency fluctuations limits and substructures exhibit substantial differences with previous works.

OLFAR - Orbiting low frequency antennas for radio astronomy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bentum, Marinus Jan

2013-01-01

One of the last unexplored frequency ranges in radio astronomy is the frequency band below 30 MHz. New interesting astronomical science drivers for low frequency radio astronomy have emerged, ranging from studies of the astronomical dark ages, the epoch of reionization, exoplanets, to ultra-high

Direct CFD Predictions of Low Frequency Sounds Generated by a Helicopter Main Rotor

Science.gov (United States)

Sim, Ben W.; Potsdam, Mark A.; Conner, Dave A.; Conner, Dave A.; Watts, Michael E.

2010-01-01

The use of CFD to directly predict helicopter main rotor noise is shown to be quite promising as an alternative mean for low frequency source noise evaluation. Results using existing state-of-the-art grid structures and finite-difference schemes demonstrated that small perturbation pressures, associated with acoustics radiation, can be extracted with some degree of fidelity. Accuracy of the predictions are demonstrated via comparing to predictions from conventional acoustic analogy-based models, and with measurements obtained from wind tunnel and flight tests for the MD-902 helicopter at several operating conditions. Findings show that the direct CFD approach is quite successfully in yielding low frequency results due to thickness and steady loading noise mechanisms. Mid-to-high frequency contents, due to blade-vortex interactions, are not predicted due to CFD modeling and grid constraints.

A low-jitter RF PLL frequency synthesizer with high-speed mixed-signal down-scaling circuits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang Lu; Wang Zhigong; Xue Hong; He Xiaohu; Xu Yong; Sun Ling

2010-01-01

A low-jitter RF phase locked loop (PLL) frequency synthesizer with high-speed mixed-signal down-scaling circuits is proposed. Several techniques are proposed to reduce the design complexity and improve the performance of the mixed-signal down-scaling circuit in the PLL. An improved D-latch is proposed to increase the speed and the driving capability of the DMP in the down-scaling circuit. Through integrating the D-latch with 'OR' logic for dual-modulus operation, the delays associated with both the 'OR' and D-flip-flop (DFF) operations are reduced, and the complexity of the circuit is also decreased. The programmable frequency divider of the down-scaling circuit is realized in a new method based on deep submicron CMOS technology standard cells and a more accurate wire-load model. The charge pump in the PLL is also realized with a novel architecture to improve the current matching characteristic so as to reduce the jitter of the system. The proposed RF PLL frequency synthesizer is realized with a TSMC 0.18-μm CMOS process. The measured phase noise of the PLL frequency synthesizer output at 100 kHz offset from the center frequency is only -101.52 dBc/Hz. The circuit exhibits a low RMS jitter of 3.3 ps. The power consumption of the PLL frequency synthesizer is also as low as 36 mW at a 1.8 V power supply. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

Low frequency noise study.

Science.gov (United States)

2007-04-01

This report documents a study to investigate human response to the low-frequency : content of aviation noise, or low-frequency noise (LFN). The study comprised field : measurements and laboratory studies. The major findings were: : 1. Start-of-takeof...

Efficiency Optimization Methods in Low-Power High-Frequency Digitally Controlled SMPS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleksandar Prodić

2010-06-01

Full Text Available This paper gives a review of several power efficiency optimization techniques that are utilizing advantages of emerging digital control in high frequency switch-mode power supplies (SMPS, processing power from a fraction of watt to several hundreds of watts. Loss mechanisms in semiconductor components are briefly reviewed and the related principles of online efficiency optimization through power stage segmentation and gate voltage variation presented. Practical implementations of such methods utilizing load prediction or data extraction from a digital control loop are shown. The benefits of the presented efficiency methods are verified through experimental results, showing efficiency improvements, ranging from 2% to 30%,depending on the load conditions.

Low and High Frequency Hippocampal Stimulation for Drug-Resistant Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Siew-Na; Lee, Ching-Yi; Lee, Shih-Tseng; Tu, Po-Hsun; Chang, Bao-Luen; Lee, Chih-Hong; Cheng, Mei-Yun; Chang, Chun-Wei; Tseng, Wei-En Johnny; Hsieh, Hsiang-Yao; Chiang, Hsing-I; Wu, Tony

2016-06-01

Electrical stimulation of the hippocampus offers the possibility to treat patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) who are not surgical candidates. We report long-term follow-up results in five patients receiving low or high frequency hippocampal stimulation for drug-resistant MTLE. The patients underwent stereotactic implantation of quadripolar stimulating electrodes in the hippocampus. Two of the patients received unilateral electrode implantation, while the other three received bilateral implantation. Stimulation of the hippocampal electrodes was turned ON immediately after the implantation of an implantable pulse generator, with initial stimulation parameters: 1 V, 90-150 μs, 5 or 145 Hz. The frequency of seizures was monitored and compared with preimplantation baseline data. Two men and three women, aged 27-61 years were studied, with a mean follow-up period of 38.4 months (range, 30-42 months). The baseline seizure frequency was 2.0-15.3/month. The five patients had an average 45% (range 22-72%) reduction in the frequency of seizures after hippocampal stimulation over the study period. Low frequency hippocampal stimulation decreased the frequency of seizures in two patients (by 54% and 72%, respectively). No implantation- or stimulation-related side effects were reported. Electrical stimulation of the hippocampus is a minimally invasive and reversible method that can improve seizure outcomes in patients with drug-resistant MTLE. The optimal frequency of stimulation varied from patient to patient and therefore required individual setting. These experimental results warrant further controlled studies with a large patient population to evaluate the long-term effect of hippocampal stimulation with different stimulation parameters. © 2016 The Authors. Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Neuromodulation Society.

Binaural beats at high frequencies.

Science.gov (United States)

McFadden, D; Pasanen, E G

1975-10-24

Binaural beats have long been believed to be audible only at low frequencies, but an interaction reminiscent of a binaural beat can sometimes be heard when different two-tone complexes of high frequency are presented to the two ears. The primary requirement is that the frequency separation in the complex at one ear be slightly different from that in the other--that is, that there be a small interaural difference in the envelope periodicities. This finding is in accord with other recent demonstrations that the auditory system is not deaf to interaural time differences at high frequencies.

Design and development of ITER high-frequency magnetic sensor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Y., E-mail: Yunxing.Ma@iter.org [ITER Organization, Route de Vinon-sur-Verdon, CS 90 046, 13067 St. Paul Lez Durance Cedex (France); Fircroft Engineering, Lingley House, 120 Birchwood Point, Birchwood Boulevard, Warrington, WA3 7QH (United Kingdom); Vayakis, G. [ITER Organization, Route de Vinon-sur-Verdon, CS 90 046, 13067 St. Paul Lez Durance Cedex (France); Begrambekov, L.B. [National Research Nuclear University (MEPhI), 115409, Moscow, Kashirskoe shosse 31 (Russian Federation); Cooper, J.-J. [Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE), Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Duran, I. [IPP Prague, Za Slovankou 1782/3, 182 00 Prague 8 (Czech Republic); Hirsch, M.; Laqua, H.P. [Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, Teilinstitut Greifswald, Wendelsteinstraße 1, D-17491 Greifswald (Germany); Moreau, Ph. [CEA Cadarache, 13108 Saint Paul lez Durance Cedex (France); Oosterbeek, J.W. [Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven (Netherlands); Spuig, P. [CEA Cadarache, 13108 Saint Paul lez Durance Cedex (France); Stange, T. [Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, Teilinstitut Greifswald, Wendelsteinstraße 1, D-17491 Greifswald (Germany); Walsh, M. [ITER Organization, Route de Vinon-sur-Verdon, CS 90 046, 13067 St. Paul Lez Durance Cedex (France)

2016-11-15

Highlights: • ITER high-frequency magnetic sensor system has been designed. • Prototypes have been successfully manufactured. • Manufactured prototypes have been tested in various labs. • Test results experimentally validated the design. - Abstract: High-frequency (HF) inductive magnetic sensors are the primary ITER diagnostic set for Toroidal Alfvén Eigenmodes (TAE) detection, while they also supplement low-frequency MHD and plasma equilibrium measurements. These sensors will be installed on the inner surface of ITER vacuum vessel, operated in a harsh environment with considerable neutron/nuclear radiation and high thermal load. Essential components of the HF sensor system, including inductive coil, electron cyclotron heating (ECH) shield, electrical cabling and termination load, have been designed to meet ITER measurement requirements. System performance (e.g. frequency response, thermal conduction) has been assessed. A prototyping campaign was initiated to demonstrate the manufacturability of the designed components. Prototypes have been produced according to the specifications. A series of lab tests have been performed to examine assembly issues and validate electrical and thermo-mechanical aspects of the design. In-situ microwave radiation test has been conducted in the MISTRAL test facility at IPP-Greifswald to experimentally examine the microwave shielding efficiency and structural integrity of the ECH shield. Low-power microwave attenuation measurement and scanning electron microscopic inspection were conducted to probe and examine the quality of the metal coating on the ECH shield.

Understanding the magnitude dependence of PGA and PGV in NGA-West 2 data

Science.gov (United States)

Baltay, Annemarie S.; Hanks, Thomas C.

2014-01-01

The Next Generation Attenuation‐West 2 (NGA‐West 2) 2014 ground‐motion prediction equations (GMPEs) model ground motions as a function of magnitude and distance, using empirically derived coefficients (e.g., Bozorgniaet al., 2014); as such, these GMPEs do not clearly employ earthquake source parameters beyond moment magnitude (M) and focal mechanism. To better understand the magnitude‐dependent trends in the GMPEs, we build a comprehensive earthquake source‐based model to explain the magnitude dependence of peak ground acceleration and peak ground velocity in the NGA‐West 2 ground‐motion databases and GMPEs. Our model employs existing models (Hanks and McGuire, 1981; Boore, 1983, 1986; Anderson and Hough, 1984) that incorporate a point‐source Brune model, including a constant stress drop and the high‐frequency attenuation parameter κ0, random vibration theory, and a finite‐fault assumption at the large magnitudes to describe the data from magnitudes 3 to 8. We partition this range into four different magnitude regions, each of which has different functional dependences on M. Use of the four magnitude partitions separately allows greater understanding of what happens in any one subrange, as well as the limiting conditions between the subranges. This model provides a remarkably good fit to the NGA data for magnitudes from 3magnitude data, for which the corner frequency is masked by the attenuation of high frequencies. That this simple, source‐based model matches the NGA‐West 2 GMPEs and data so well suggests that considerable simplicity underlies the parametrically complex NGA GMPEs.

High-frequency applications of high-temperature superconductor thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Klein, N.

2002-10-01

High-temperature superconducting thin films offer unique properties which can be utilized for a variety of high-frequency device applications in many areas related to the strongly progressing market of information technology. One important property is an exceptionally low level of microwave absorption at temperatures attainable with low power cryocoolers. This unique property has initiated the development of various novel type of microwave devices and commercialized subsystems with special emphasis on application in advanced microwave communication systems. The second important achievement related to efforts in oxide thin and multilayer technology was the reproducible fabrication of low-noise Josephson junctions in high-temperature superconducting thin films. As a consequence of this achievement, several novel nonlinear high-frequency devices, most of them exploiting the unique features of the ac Josephson effect, have been developed and found to exhibit challenging properties to be utilized in basic metrology and Terahertz technology. On the longer timescale, the achievements in integrated high-temperature superconductor circuit technology may offer a strong potential for the development of digital devices with possible clock frequencies in the range of 100 GHz.

High-frequency applications of high-temperature superconductor thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klein, N.

2002-01-01

High-temperature superconducting thin films offer unique properties which can be utilized for a variety of high-frequency device applications in many areas related to the strongly progressing market of information technology. One important property is an exceptionally low level of microwave absorption at temperatures attainable with low power cryocoolers. This unique property has initiated the development of various novel type of microwave devices and commercialized subsystems with special emphasis on application in advanced microwave communication systems. The second important achievement related to efforts in oxide thin and multilayer technology was the reproducible fabrication of low-noise Josephson junctions in high-temperature superconducting thin films. As a consequence of this achievement, several novel nonlinear high-frequency devices, most of them exploiting the unique features of the ac Josephson effect, have been developed and found to exhibit challenging properties to be utilized in basic metrology and Terahertz technology. On the longer timescale, the achievements in integrated high-temperature superconductor circuit technology may offer a strong potential for the development of digital devices with possible clock frequencies in the range of 100 GHz. (author)

Modification of Akhieser mechanism in Si nanomembranes and thermal conductivity dependence of the Q-factor of high frequency nanoresonators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chávez-Ángel, E; Gomis-Bresco, J; Alzina, F; Sotomayor Torres, C M; Zarate, R A

2014-01-01

We present and validate a reformulated Akhieser model that takes into account the reduction of thermal conductivity due to the impact of boundary scattering on the thermal phonons’ lifetime. We consider silicon nanomembranes with mechanical mode frequencies in the GHz range as textbook examples of nanoresonators. The model successfully accounts for the measured shortening of the mechanical mode lifetime. Moreover, the thermal conductivity is extracted from the measured lifetime of the mechanical modes in the high-frequency regime, thereby demonstrating that the Q-factor can be used as an indication of the thermal conductivity and/or diffusivity of a mechanical resonator. (invited article)

Impact of the displacement current on low-frequency electromagnetic fields computed using high-resolution anatomy models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barchanski, A; Gersem, H de; Gjonaj, E; Weiland, T

2005-01-01

We present a comparison of simulated low-frequency electromagnetic fields in the human body, calculated by means of the electro-quasistatic formulation. The geometrical data in these simulations were provided by an anatomically realistic, high-resolution human body model, while the dielectric properties of the various body tissues were modelled by the parametric Cole-Cole equation. The model was examined under two different excitation sources and various spatial resolutions in a frequency range from 10 Hz to 1 MHz. An analysis of the differences in the computed fields resulting from a neglect of the permittivity was carried out. On this basis, an estimation of the impact of the displacement current on the simulated low-frequency electromagnetic fields in the human body is obtained. (note)

The control of electron quantum trajectories on the high-order harmonic generation of CO and N2 molecules in the presence of a low frequency field.

Science.gov (United States)

Koushki, A M; Sadighi-Bonabi, R; Mohsen-Nia, M; Irani, E

2018-04-14

In the present work, an efficient method is theoretically investigated for extending high-order harmonics and ultrashort attosecond pulse generation in N 2 and CO molecules by using the time-dependent density functional theory approach. Our results show that by utilizing chirped laser field in the presence of a low frequency field, not only is the harmonic cutoff extended remarkably but also the single short quantum trajectory is selected to contribute to the harmonic spectra. When a low frequency field is added to the two-color chirped laser field, the long quantum trajectories are suppressed and only the short quantum trajectories contribute to the higher harmonic emission mechanism. As a result, the spectral modulation is significantly decreased and an intense ultrashort pulse can be generated from the supercontinuum region of high harmonics. With such a scheme, the isolated ultrashort attosecond pulses can be generated in length, velocity, and acceleration gauges. Furthermore, these results are explained by using the classical and quantum time-frequency analyses.

Word Recognition during Reading: The Interaction between Lexical Repetition and Frequency

Science.gov (United States)

Lowder, Matthew W.; Choi, Wonil; Gordon, Peter C.

2013-01-01

Memory studies utilizing long-term repetition priming have generally demonstrated that priming is greater for low-frequency words than for high-frequency words and that this effect persists if words intervene between the prime and the target. In contrast, word-recognition studies utilizing masked short-term repetition priming typically show that the magnitude of repetition priming does not differ as a function of word frequency and does not persist across intervening words. We conducted an eye-tracking while reading experiment to determine which of these patterns more closely resembles the relationship between frequency and repetition during the natural reading of a text. Frequency was manipulated using proper names that were high-frequency (e.g., Stephen) or low-frequency (e.g., Dominic). The critical name was later repeated in the sentence, or a new name was introduced. First-pass reading times and skipping rates on the critical name revealed robust repetition-by-frequency interactions such that the magnitude of the repetition-priming effect was greater for low-frequency names than for high-frequency names. In contrast, measures of later processing showed effects of repetition that did not depend on lexical frequency. These results are interpreted within a framework that conceptualizes eye-movement control as being influenced in different ways by lexical- and discourse-level factors. PMID:23283808

Enhanced magnetic domain relaxation frequency and low power losses in Zn{sup 2+} substituted manganese ferrites potential for high frequency applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Praveena, K., E-mail: praveenaou@gmail.com [Department of Physics, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, 11677, Taiwan (China); Chen, Hsiao-Wen [Department of Physics, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, 11677, Taiwan (China); Liu, Hsiang-Lin, E-mail: hliu@ntnu.edu.tw [Department of Physics, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, 11677, Taiwan (China); Sadhana, K., E-mail: sadhana@osmania.ac.in [Department of Physics, Osmania University, Saifabad, Hyderabad, 500004 (India); Murthy, S.R. [Department of Physics, Osmania University, Hyderabad, 500007 (India)

2016-12-15

Nowadays electronic industries prerequisites magnetic materials, i.e., iron rich materials and their magnetic alloys. However, with the advent of high frequency applications, the standard techniques of reducing eddy current losses, using iron cores, were no longer efficient or cost effective. Current market trends of the switched mode power supplies industries required even low energy losses in power conversion with maintenance of adequate initial permeability. From the above point of view, in the present study we aimed at the production of Manganese–Zinc ferrites prepared via solution combustion method using mixture of fuels and achieved low loss, high saturation magnetization, high permeability, and high magnetic domain relaxation frequency. The as-synthesized Zn{sup 2+} substituted MnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} were characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The fractions of Mn{sup 2+}, Zn{sup 2+} and Fe{sup 2+} cations occupying tetrahedral sites along with Fe occupying octahedral sites within the unit cell of all ferrite samples were estimated by Raman scattering spectroscopy. The magnetic domain relaxation was investigated by inductance spectroscopy (IS) and the observed magnetic domain relaxation frequency (f{sub r}) was increased with the increase in grain size. The real and imaginary part of permeability (μ′ and μ″) increased with frequency and showed a maximum above 100 MHz. This can be explained on the basis of spin rotation and domain wall motion. The saturation magnetization (M{sub s}), remnant magnetization (M{sub r}) and magneton number (µ{sub B}) decreased gradually with increasing Zn{sup 2+} concentration. The decrease in the saturation magnetization was discussed with Yafet–Kittel (Y–K) model. The Zn{sup 2+} concentration increases the relative number of ferric ions on the A sites, reduces the A–B interactions. The frequency dependent total power losses decreased as the zinc concentration increased

Low-loss Z-type barium hexaferrite composites from nanoscale ZnAl2O4 addition for high-frequency applications

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Zongliang; Feng, Quanyuan; Harris, Vincent G.

2018-05-01

In this study, nanocrystalline ZnAl2O4 (ZA) were introduced to Z-type barium hexaferrite (Co2Z) and the effects of ZA addition upon the crystal-phase composition, microstructure, permeability and permittivity as well as losses characteristics over a wide frequency range of 10 MHz-1 GHz have been systematically investigated. With increasing ZA content (x) from 0 to 15 wt%, the permeability μ' at low frequencies decreased from 12.0 to 4.3, while the permittivity ɛ' was decreased from 27.4 to 10.7. Correspondingly, the frequency stability of permeability and permittivity were improved and the losses were effectively reduced. When x is in the range of 5-10 wt%, the magnetic loss tan δμ is in the order of 10-2 and the dielectric loss tan δɛ is in the order of 10-3 at 300 MHz, which is lower by one order of magnitude compared with that of undoped Co2Z. The modified magnetic and dielectric properties are closely related to the changing phase composition and microstructure.

Low frequency radioastronomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zarka, Philippe; Cecconi, Baptiste; Tagger, Michel; Torchinsky, Steve; Picard, Philippe; Pezzani, Jacques; Cognard, Ismael; Boone, Frederic; Woan, Graham; Weber, Rodolphe; Gousset, Thierry; Lautridou, Pascal; Dallier, Richard

2011-07-01

Low frequency radioastronomy deals with the direct detection (below 100 MHz) and heterodyne detection (up to few GHz) of electromagnetic waves (phase and amplitude) followed by a time or spectral analysis. The 30. Goutelas school covered several aspects of radioastronomy involving various aspects of physics: non-thermal phenomena in plasmas and physics of magnetized plasmas, atomic and molecular physics, and particle physics. These proceedings comprise 17 lectures dealing with: 1 - Low-Frequency Radioastronomy Basics (P. Zarka); 2 - Radioastronomy Historical Highlights (S. A. Torchinsky); 3 - Antennas (P. Picard, J. Pezzani); 4 - Receptors (P. Picard, J. Pezzani); 5 - Pulsars chronometry: metrology in radioastronomy (I. Cognard); 6 - Interferometry as imaging technique (F. Boone); 7 - Radio propagation and scintillation (G. Woan); 8 - Square Kilometer Array (S. A. Torchinsky); 9 - Techniques against radio-electrical interferences in low-frequency radioastronomy (R. Weber); 10 - Introduction to poly-phase filtering (R. Weber); 11 - Three decades of Jupiter's radio-emission studies: from the Nancay deca-meter network to LOFAR (P. Zarka); 12 - Atmospheric showers and their radio counterpart (T. Gousset); 13 - From cosmic rays radio-detection to pulse radioastronomy (P. Lautridou, R. Dallier); 14 - The CODALEMA project (R. Dallier, P. Lautridou); 15 - Space-based radio measurements: Gonio-polarimetry (B. Cecconi); 16 - Radio astronomy from space (G. Woan); 17 - LOFAR: the Low Frequency Array and the French FLOW consortium (M. Tagger, P. Zarka)

One year double blind study of high vs low frequency subcallosal cingulate stimulation for depression.

Science.gov (United States)

Eitan, Renana; Fontaine, Denys; Benoît, Michel; Giordana, Caroline; Darmon, Nelly; Israel, Zvi; Linesky, Eduard; Arkadir, David; Ben-Naim, Shiri; Iserlles, Moshe; Bergman, Hagai; Hulse, Natasha; Abdelghani, Mohamed; McGuffin, Peter; Farmer, Anne; DeLea, Peichel; Ashkan, Keyoumars; Lerer, Bernard

2018-01-01

Subcallosal Brodmann's Area 25 (Cg25) Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is a new promising therapy for treatment resistant major depressive disorder (TR-MDD). While different DBS stimulating parameters may have an impact on the efficacy and safety of the therapy, there is no data to support a protocol for optimal stimulation parameters for depression. Here we present a prospective multi-center double-blind randomized crossed-over 13-month study that evaluated the effects of High (130 Hz) vs Low (20 Hz) frequency Cg25 stimulation for nine patients with TR-MDD. Four out of nine patients achieved response criteria (≥40% reduction of symptom score) compared to mean baseline values at the end of the study. The mean percent change of MADRS score showed a similar improvement in the high and low frequency stimulation groups after 6 months of stimulation (-15.4 ± 21.1 and -14.7 ± 21.1 respectively). The mean effect at the end of the second period (6 months after cross-over) was higher than the first period (first 6 months of stimulation) in all patients (-23.4 ± 19.9 (n = 6 periods) and -13.0 ± 22 (n = 9 periods) respectively). At the end of the second period, the mean percent change of the MADRS scores improved more in the high than low frequency groups (-31.3 ± 19.3 (n = 4 patients) and -7.7 ± 10.9 (n = 2 patients) respectively). Given the small numbers, detailed statistical analysis is challenging. Nonetheless the results of this study suggest that long term high frequency stimulation might confer the best results. Larger scale, randomized double blind trials are needed in order to evaluate the most effective stimulation parameters. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Low Magnitude Occupational Radiation Exposures Are They Safe or Unsafe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ravichandran, R.

2013-01-01

Man has always been exposed to ionizing radiation from natural sources and background exposure varies with the locations. No deleterious effects have been uniquely correlated, either they are not produced at low levels of exposure or their frequency is too low to be statistically observable. Direct source of information on radiation hazards in man is obviously based on follow up of population groups exposed to certain levels of radiation. Harmful effects of ionizing radiations are traced to documented exposures; for radiologists during 1920 s and 30 s, miners exposed to airborne radioactivity, workers in the radium industry, follow-up data of Japanese nuclear bomb survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Marshallese accident in 1954, and the victims of the limited number of accidents at nuclear installations including Chernobyl. Mostly these information are from situations involving higher doses and dose rates. Ionizing radiations have been used extensively on the peaceful applications of atomic energy in general and medical applications in particular have shown to outweigh benefits over the risks. Personnel, low magnitude of exposures are encountered during routine work in handling radiation sources. In the light of present knowledge there is need to reassess the quantum of actual risk instead of projected risk based on long time models. The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) described models for dose-response relationships and micro-dosimetric arguments for defining low doses. The definition of low doses could also be based on direct observations in experimental or epidemiological studies. Through measurement of cell damage or death using human lymphocytes, linear and quadratic terms have been fitted the response and low doses have been judged to be 20-40 mSv. Data derived from epidemiological studies, mainly the atomic bomb survivors, suggests that for solid tumours and leukaemia, 200 mSv could be considered the

Control of extracellular cleavage of ProBDNF by high frequency neuronal activity

OpenAIRE

Nagappan, Guhan; Zaitsev, Eugene; Senatorov, Vladimir V.; Yang, Jianmin; Hempstead, Barbara L.; Lu, Bai

2009-01-01

Pro- and mature neurotrophins often elicit opposing biological effects. For example, mature brain-derived neurotrophic factor (mBDNF) is critical for long-term potentiation induced by high-frequency stimulation, whereas proBDNF facilitate long-term depression induced by low-frequency stimulation. Because mBDNF is derived from proBDNF by endoproteolytic cleavage, mechanisms regulating the cleavage of proBDNF may control the direction of BDNF regulation. Using methods that selectively detect pr...

Design and optimization of stress centralized MEMS vector hydrophone with high sensitivity at low frequency

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Guojun; Ding, Junwen; Xu, Wei; Liu, Yuan; Wang, Renxin; Han, Janjun; Bai, Bing; Xue, Chenyang; Liu, Jun; Zhang, Wendong

2018-05-01

A micro hydrophone based on piezoresistive effect, "MEMS vector hydrophone" was developed for acoustic detection application. To improve the sensitivity of MEMS vector hydrophone at low frequency, we reported a stress centralized MEMS vector hydrophone (SCVH) mainly used in 20-500 Hz. Stress concentration area was actualized in sensitive unit of hydrophone by silicon micromachining technology. Then piezoresistors were placed in stress concentration area for better mechanical response, thereby obtaining higher sensitivity. Static analysis was done to compare the mechanical response of three different sensitive microstructure: SCVH, conventional micro-silicon four-beam vector hydrophone (CFVH) and Lollipop-shaped vector hydrophone (LVH) respectively. And fluid-structure interaction (FSI) was used to analyze the natural frequency of SCVH for ensuring the measurable bandwidth. Eventually, the calibration experiment in standing wave field was done to test the property of SCVH and verify the accuracy of simulation. The results show that the sensitivity of SCVH has nearly increased by 17.2 dB in contrast to CFVH and 7.6 dB in contrast to LVH during 20-500 Hz.

High frequency breakdown voltage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chu, Thanh Duy.

1992-03-01

This report contains information about the effect of frequency on the breakdown voltage of an air gap at standard pressure and temperature, 76 mm Hg and O degrees C, respectively. The frequencies of interest are 47 MHz and 60 MHz. Additionally, the breakdown in vacuum is briefly considered. The breakdown mechanism is explained on the basis of collision and ionization. The presence of the positive ions produced by ionization enhances the field in the gap, and thus determines the breakdown. When a low-frequency voltage is applied across the gap, the breakdown mechanism is the same as that caused by the DC or static voltage. However, when the frequency exceeds the first critical value f c , the positive ions are trapped in the gap, increasing the field considerably. This makes the breakdown occur earlier; in other words, the breakdown voltage is lowered. As the frequency increases two decades or more, the second critical frequency, f ce , is reached. This time the electrons start being trapped in the gap. Those electrons that travel multiple times across the gap before reaching the positive electrode result in an enormous number of electrons and positive ions being present in the gap. The result is a further decrease of the breakdown voltage. However, increasing the frequency does not decrease the breakdown voltage correspondingly. In fact, the associated breakdown field intensity is almost constant (about 29 kV/cm).The reason is that the recombination rate increases and counterbalances the production rate, thus reducing the effect of the positive ions' concentration in the gap. The theory of collision and ionization does not apply to the breakdown in vacuum. It seems that the breakdown in vacuum is primarily determined by the irregularities on the surfaces of the electrodes. Therefore, the effect of frequency on the breakdown, if any, is of secondary importance

Methods for estimating magnitude and frequency of floods in Arizona, developed with unregulated and rural peak-flow data through water year 2010

Science.gov (United States)

Paretti, Nicholas V.; Kennedy, Jeffrey R.; Turney, Lovina A.; Veilleux, Andrea G.

2014-01-01

Flooding is among the worst natural disasters responsible for loss of life and property in Arizona, underscoring the importance of accurate estimation of flood magnitude for proper structural design and floodplain mapping. Twenty-four years of additional peak-flow data have been recorded since the last comprehensive regional flood frequency analysis conducted in Arizona. Periodically, flood frequency estimates and regional regression equations must be revised to maintain the accurate estimation of flood frequency and magnitude.

INVESTIGATION OF THE FREQUENCY-TEMPERATURE RELATIONSHIP OF THE DIELECTRIC PERMITTIVITY OF THE PZT PIEZOCERAMICS IN THE LOW FREQUENCY RANGE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. I. ZOLOTAREVSKIY

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Purpose. To investigate the frequency-temperature relationship of the dielectric permittivity of PZT piezoceramics in the low frequency range. Methodology. To obtain the frequency-temperature relationship of the dielectric permittivity of the PZT piezoceramics, a technique was used to determine the capacitance of the capacitor, between which plates the sample was placed. The value of the dielectric permittivity of the sample was calculated from the capacitor capacitance obtained. Findings. The frequency-temperature relationship of the dielectric permittivity of the PZT piezoceramics in the low frequency range has been obtained by the authors. The dielectric permittivity is not practically related to the frequency of the alternating voltage at a low temperature, with increasing in temperature its value increases and frequency relationship is observed. The temperature relationship of the dielectric permittivity of the PZT piezoceramics is satisfactorily described by the exponential functional dependence in the low-temperature range. The activation energy of the PZT piezoceramics polarization is determined from the graph of the dependence of the logarithm of the dielectric permittivity upon the inverse temperature. Different values of the activation energy for the two temperature regions prove on the existence of different mechanisms of the PZT piezoceramics polarization in the temperature range being investigated. Originality. The authors investigated the frequency-temperature relationship of the dielectric permittivity of the PZT piezoceramics in the low-frequency range. It is established that the temperature relationship of the dielectric permittivity of the PZT piezoceramics is satisfactorily described by an exponential functional relationship in the lowtemperature range. The activation energy of polarization is determined for two temperature sections. Practical value. The research results can be used to study the mechanism of polarization of

Low-frequency flux noise in YBCO dc SQUIDs cooled in static magnetic fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sager, M.P.; Bindslev Hansen, J.; Petersen, P.R.E.; Holst, T.; Shen, Y.Q.

1999-01-01

The low-frequency flux noise in bicrystal and step-edge YBa 2 Cu 3 O x dc SQUIDs has been investigated. The width, w, of the superconducting strips forming the SQUID frame was varied from 4 to 42 μm. The SQUIDs were cooled in static magnetic fields up to 150 μT. Two types of low-frequency noise dominated, namely 1/f-like noise and random telegraph noise giving a Lorentzian frequency spectrum. The 1/f noise performance of the w = 4, 6 and 7 μm SQUIDs was almost identical, while the SQUIDs with w = 22 and 42 μm showed an order of magnitude higher noise level. Our analysis of the data suggests an exponential increase of the 1/f noise versus the cooling field, exhibiting a characteristic magnetic field around 40 μT. (author)

[Comparative assessment of MR-semiotics of acutest intracerebral hematomas in low- and extra high-field frequency magnetic resonance tomography].

Science.gov (United States)

Skvortsova, V I; Burenchev, D V; Tvorogova, T V; Guseva, O I; Prokhorov, A V; Smirnov, A M; Kupriianov, D A; Pirogov, Iu A

2009-01-01

An objective of the study was to compare sensitivity of low- and extra high-field frequency magnetic resonance (MR) tomography of acutest intracerebral hematomas (ICH) and to assess differences between symptoms in obtained images. A study was conducted using experimental ICH in rats (n=6). Hematomas were formed by two injections of autologic blood into the brain. MR-devices "Bio Spec 70/30" with magnetic field strength of 7 T and "Ellipse-150" with magnetic field strength of 0,15 T were used in the study. MR-tomography was carried out 3-5 h after the injections. Both MR-devices revealed the presence of pathological lesion in all animals. Extra highfield frequency MR-tomography showed the specific signs of ICH caused by the paramagnetic effect of deoxyhemoglobin in T2 and T2*-weighted images (WI) and low frequency MR-tomography - in T2*-WI only. The comparable sensitivity of low- and extra high-field frequency MR-devices in acutest ICH was established.

2D fluid-analytical simulation of electromagnetic effects in low pressure, high frequency electronegative capacitive discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawamura, E; Lichtenberg, A J; Lieberman, M A; Marakhtanov, A M

2016-01-01

A fast 2D axisymmetric fluid-analytical multifrequency capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) reactor code is used to study center high nonuniformity in a low pressure electronegative chlorine discharge. In the code, a time-independent Helmholtz wave equation is used to solve for the capacitive fields in the linearized frequency domain. This eliminates the time dependence from the electromagnetic (EM) solve, greatly speeding up the simulations at the cost of neglecting higher harmonics. However, since the code allows up to three driving frequencies, we can add the two most important harmonics to the CCP simulations as the second and third input frequencies. The amplitude and phase of these harmonics are estimated by using a recently developed 1D radial nonlinear transmission line (TL) model of a highly asymmetric cylindrical discharge (Lieberman et al 2015 Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 24 055011). We find that at higher applied frequencies, the higher harmonics contribute significantly to the center high nonuniformity due to their shorter plasma wavelengths. (paper)

Low velocity target detection based on time-frequency image for high frequency ground wave radar

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

YAN Songhua; WU Shicai; WEN Biyang

2007-01-01

The Doppler spectral broadening resulted from non-stationary movement of target and radio-frequency interference will decrease the veracity of target detection by high frequency ground wave(HEGW)radar.By displaying the change of signal energy on two dimensional time-frequency images based on time-frequency analysis,a new mathematical morphology method to distinguish target from nonlinear time-frequency curves is presented.The analyzed results from the measured data verify that with this new method the target can be detected correctly from wide Doppler spectrum.

Low-frequency spatial wave manipulation via phononic crystals with relaxed cell symmetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Celli, Paolo; Gonella, Stefano

2014-01-01

Phononic crystals enjoy unique wave manipulation capabilities enabled by their periodic topologies. On one hand, they feature frequency-dependent directivity, which allows directional propagation of selected modes even at low frequencies. However, the stellar nature of the propagation patterns and the inability to induce single-beam focusing represent significant limitations of this functionality. On the other hand, one can realize waveguides by defecting the periodic structure of a crystal operating in bandgap mode along some desired path. Waveguides of this type are only activated in the relatively high and narrow frequency bands corresponding to total bandgaps, which limits their potential technological applications. In this work, we introduce a class of phononic crystals with relaxed cell symmetry and we exploit symmetry relaxation of a population of auxiliary microstructural elements to achieve spatial manipulation of elastic waves at very low frequencies, in the range of existence of the acoustic modes. By this approach, we achieve focusing without modifying the default static properties of the medium and by invoking mechanisms that are well suited to envision adaptive configurations for semi-active wave control

The Effects of Visual Complexity for Japanese Kanji Processing with High and Low Frequencies

Science.gov (United States)

Tamaoka, Katsuo; Kiyama, Sachiko

2013-01-01

The present study investigated the effects of visual complexity for kanji processing by selecting target kanji from different stroke ranges of visually simple (2-6 strokes), medium (8-12 strokes), and complex (14-20 strokes) kanji with high and low frequencies. A kanji lexical decision task in Experiment 1 and a kanji naming task in Experiment 2…

Empirical conversion between teleseismic magnitudes (mb and Ms) and moment magnitude (Mw) at the Global, Euro-Mediterranean and Italian scale

Science.gov (United States)

Lolli, B.; Gasperini, P.; Vannucci, G.

2014-11-01

We analysed the conversion problem between teleseismic magnitudes (Ms and mb) provided by the Seismological Bulletin of the International Seismological Centre and moment magnitudes (Mw) provided by online moment tensor (MT) catalogues using the chi-square general orthogonal regression method (CSQ) that, differently from the ordinary least-square regression method (OLS), accounts for the measurement errors of both the predictor and response variables. To account for the non-linearity of the relationships, we used two types of curvilinear models: (i) the exponential model (EXP), recently proposed by the authors of the Global Catalogue sponsored by the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation and (ii) a connected bilinear (CBL) model, similar to that proposed by Ekström & Dziewonski, where two different linear trends at low and high magnitudes are connected by an arc of circle that preserves the continuity of the function and of its first derivative at the connecting points. For Ms, we found that the regression curves computed for a global data set (GBL) are likely to be biased by the incompleteness of global MT catalogues for Mw <5.0-5.5. In fact, the GBL curves deviate significantly from a similar regression curve computed for a Euro-Mediterranean data set (MED) integrated with the data provided by two regional MT catalogues including many more events with Mw < 5.0-5.5. The GLB regression curves overestimate the Mw proxies computed from Ms up to 0.5 magnitude units. Hence for computing Mw proxies at the global scale of Ms ≤ 5.5, we suggest to adopt the coefficients obtained from the MED regression. The analysis of the frequency-magnitude relationship of the resulting Mw proxy catalogues confirms the validity of this choice as the behaviour of b­-value as a function of cut-off magnitude of the GBL data set is much more stable using such approach. The incompleteness of Mw's provided from MT global catalogues also affects the mb GBL data set but in this case the

Mixed Stimulus-Induced Mode Selection in Neural Activity Driven by High and Low Frequency Current under Electromagnetic Radiation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lulu Lu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The electrical activities of neurons are dependent on the complex electrophysiological condition in neuronal system, the three-variable Hindmarsh-Rose (HR neuron model is improved to describe the dynamical behaviors of neuronal activities with electromagnetic induction being considered, and the mode transition of electrical activities in neuron is detected when external electromagnetic radiation is imposed on the neuron. In this paper, different types of electrical stimulus impended with a high-low frequency current are imposed on new HR neuron model, and mixed stimulus-induced mode selection in neural activity is discussed in detail. It is found that mode selection of electrical activities stimulated by high-low frequency current, which also changes the excitability of neuron, can be triggered owing to adding the Gaussian white noise. Meanwhile, the mode selection of the neuron electrical activity is much dependent on the amplitude B of the high frequency current under the same noise intensity, and the high frequency response is selected preferentially by applying appropriate parameters and noise intensity. Our results provide insights into the transmission of complex signals in nerve system, which is valuable in engineering prospective applications such as information encoding.

Mechanical pumping at low temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perin, J.P.; Claudet, G.; Disdier, F.

1995-01-01

This novel concept consist of a mechanical pump able to run at low temperature (25K). Since gas density varies inversely with temperature, this pump would deliver much higher mass flow rate than at room temperature for a given size. Advantages of this concept are order of magnitude reduction in size, weight, when compared to a conventional pump scaled to perform the same mass flow rate at room temperature. This pump would be a solution to allow continuously tritium extraction and minimize the mass inventory. (orig.)

Maintenance of extratropical low-frequency variabilities in the atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ting, M.

1994-01-01

The extratropical low-frequency variability is one of the most important components in extratropical dynamics. While there are some understanding of the high-frequency, synoptic scale storm track eddy development due to baroclinic instability theory, its low-frequency counterpart is poorly understood and the theory for that is slowly evolving. The main difficulty seems to be lying on the fact that the problem is three dimensional in nature

Dust Storms in North China in 2002: A Case Study of the Low Frequency Oscillation

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2007-01-01

The low frequency oscillation in both hemispheres and its possible role in the dust weather storm events over North China in 2002 are analyzed as a case study. Results show that the Aleutian Low is linked with the Circumpolar Vortex in the Southern Hemisphere on a 30-60-day oscillation, with a weak Circumpolar Vortex tending to deepen the Aleutian Low which may be helpful for the generation of dust storm events.The possible mechanism behind this is the inter-hemispheric interaction of the mean meridional circulation,with the major variability over East Asia. The zonal mean westerly wind at high latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere in the upper level troposphere may lead that of the Northern Hemisphere, which then impacts the local circulation in the Northern Hemisphere. Thus, the low frequency oscillation teleconnection is one possible linkage in the coupling between the Southern Hemisphere circulation and dust events over North China. However, the interannual variation of the low frequency oscillation is unclear.

Subjective annoyance caused by indoor low-level and low frequency noise and control method

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

DI Guo-qing; ZHANG Bang-jun; SHANG Qi

2005-01-01

The influence of low-level noise has not been widely noticed. This paper discovered that low-level and low frequency noise(Aweighted equivalent level Leq ＜ 45 dB) causes higher probability of subjective annoyance. The fuzzy mathematic principle was applied to deal with the threshold level of subjective annoyance from noise in this study; there is preferable relationship between the indoor noise and noise annoyance at low frequency noise level. Study indicated at the same centered noise level, the change of annoyance probability is mainly caused by the change of the frequency spectrum characteristic of the indoor noise. Under low noise level environment, without change of the medium-low frequency noise, the slight increase of medium-high frequency noise level with the help of noise sheltering effect can significantly reduce the noise annoyance. This discovery brings a new resolution on how to improve the environmental quality of working or living places. A noise control model is given in this study according to the acoustic analysis.

A comprehensive analysis of high-magnitude streamflow and trends in the Central Valley, California

Science.gov (United States)

Kocis, T. N.; Dahlke, H. E.

2017-12-01

California's climate is characterized by the largest precipitation and streamflow variability observed within the conterminous US. This, combined with chronic groundwater overdraft of 0.6-3.5 km3 yr-1, creates the need to identify additional surface water sources available for groundwater recharge using methods such as agricultural groundwater banking, aquifer storage and recovery, and spreading basins. High-magnitude streamflow, i.e. flow above the 90th percentile, that exceeds environmental flow requirements and current surface water allocations under California water rights, could be a viable source of surface water for groundwater banking. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of the magnitude, frequency, duration and timing of high-magnitude streamflow (HMF "metrics") over multiple time periods for 93 stream gauges covering the Sacramento, San Joaquin and Tulare basins in California. In addition, we present trend analyses conducted on the same dataset and all HMF metrics using generalized additive models, the Mann-Kendall trend test, and the Signal to Noise Ratio test. The results of the comprehensive analysis show, in short, that in an average year with HMF approximately 3.2 km3 of high-magnitude flow is exported from the entire Central Valley to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, often at times when environmental flow requirements of the Delta and major rivers are exceeded. High-magnitude flow occurs, on average, during 7 and 4.7 out of 10 years in the Sacramento River and the San Joaquin-Tulare Basins, respectively, from just a few storm events (5-7 1-day peak events) lasting for a total of 25-30 days between November and April. Preliminary trend tests suggest that all HMF metrics show limited change over the last 50 years. As a whole, the results suggest that there is sufficient unmanaged surface water physically available to mitigate long-term groundwater overdraft in the Central Valley.

Cart pushing: the effect of magnitude and direction of push force, and of trunk inclination on low back loading

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoozemans, M.J.M.; Faber, G.S.; Slaghuis, W.; van Dieen, J.H.

2007-01-01

The primary objective of the present study was to quantify the relative effect of the magnitude and direction of the exerted push force and of trunk inclination on the mechanical load at the low back using a regression analysis for correlated data. In addition, we explored the effects of handle

The Safety of Using High Frequency, Low Intensity Ultrasound to Enhance Thrombolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soltani, Azita

2006-01-01

The EKOS Ultrasound Infusion Systems (EKOS Corporation, Bothell, WA) use high frequency, low intensity ultrasound to accelerate thrombolysis by enhancing clot permeability and lytic drug penetration into thrombus. These systems are designed to provide efficacious catheter-directed treatment for the management of stroke, peripheral arterial occlusion and deep vein thrombosis. The in vitro and in vivo results of investigating the stability of therapeutic and diagnostic compounds used in combination with EKOS devices, the potential for adverse biological effects and the clot fragmentation confirmed the safety of EKOS ultrasound infusion systems in thrombolysis treatment

Landau-Zener-Stueckelberg interferometry with low- and high-frequency driving

Science.gov (United States)

Shevchenko, Sergey; Ashhab, Sahel; Nori, Franco

2010-03-01

The problem of a periodically driven two-level system cannot be solved exactly. The rotating-wave approximation (RWA) is the most common approximation used to analyze this problem. I will discuss an alternative approximation that applies in the case of very strong driving, where the RWA is generally invalid. The dynamics is approximated by a sequence of Landau-Zener transitions that can interfere constructively or destructively, depending on the Stueckelberg phase accumulated between transitions. It turns out that the resonance conditions are qualitatively different for the cases of low- and high-frequency driving. I will discuss the two respective limits. I will also show that our theoretical results describe recent experiments on Landau-Zener-Stuckelberg interferometry with superconducting qubits [S.N. Shevchenko, S. Ashhab, and F. Nori, arXiv:0911.1917].

Sheath impedance effects in very high frequency plasma experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwarzenbach, W.; Howling, A.A.; Fivaz, M.; Brunner, S.; Hollenstein, C.

1995-05-01

The frequency dependence (13.56 MHz to 70 MHz) of the ion energy distribution at the ground electrode was measured by mass spectrometry in a symmetrical capacitive argon discharge. Reduced sheath impedance at Very High Frequency allows high levels of plasma power and substrate ion flux whilst maintaining low levels of ion energy and electrode voltage. The lower limit of ion bombardment energy is fixed by the sheath floating potential at high frequency, in contrast to low frequencies where only the rf voltage amplitude is determinant. The capacitive sheaths are thinner at high frequencies which accentuates the high frequency reduction in sheath impedance. It is argued that the frequency dependence of sheath impedance is responsible for the principal characteristics of Very High Frequency plasmas. The measurements are summarised by simple physical descriptions and compared with a Particle-In-Cell simulation. (author) figs., tabs., refs

Deformation mechanisms of bent Si nanowires governed by the sign and magnitude of strain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Lihua, E-mail: wlh@bjut.edu.cn, E-mail: xdhan@bjut.edu.cn, E-mail: j.zou@uq.edu.au [Beijing Key Lab of Microstructure and Property of Advanced Material, Institute of Microstructure and Properties of Advanced Materials, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124 (China); Materials Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 (Australia); Kong, Deli; Xin, Tianjiao; Shu, Xinyu; Zheng, Kun; Xiao, Lirong; Sha, Xuechao; Lu, Yan; Han, Xiaodong, E-mail: wlh@bjut.edu.cn, E-mail: xdhan@bjut.edu.cn, E-mail: j.zou@uq.edu.au [Beijing Key Lab of Microstructure and Property of Advanced Material, Institute of Microstructure and Properties of Advanced Materials, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124 (China); Zhang, Ze [Department of Materials Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310008 (China); Zou, Jin, E-mail: wlh@bjut.edu.cn, E-mail: xdhan@bjut.edu.cn, E-mail: j.zou@uq.edu.au [Materials Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 (Australia); Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 (Australia)

2016-04-11

In this study, the deformation mechanisms of bent Si nanowires are investigated at the atomic scale with bending strain up to 12.8%. The sign and magnitude of the applied strain are found to govern their deformation mechanisms, in which the dislocation types (full or partial dislocations) can be affected by the sign (tensile or compressive) and magnitude of the applied strain. In the early stages of bending, plastic deformation is controlled by 60° full dislocations. As the bending increases, Lomer dislocations can be frequently observed. When the strain increases to a significant level, 90° partial dislocations induced from the tensile surfaces of the bent nanowires are observed. This study provides a deeper understanding of the effect of the sign and magnitude of the bending strain on the deformation mechanisms in bent Si nanowires.

Low-frequency noise in high-Tc superconducting thick films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aponte, J.M.; Gutierrez, G.; Octavio, M.

1990-01-01

In this paper experimental results on the resistance noise in thick films of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ in the vicinity of the superconducting transition are reported. The measurements were performed in samples with broad resistive transitions and in the frequency range from 1Hz to 100 Hz. The power spectral density S v /V 2 of the excess noise is obtained by subtracting the current-independent background noise from the total measured noise. The authors observed that at the transition, the magnitude of S v /V 2 rises above its level at room temperature exhibiting peaks at the same temperatures at which R -1 dR/dT has maxima. The authors performed measurements of S v /V 2 as a function of the current through the sample and the authors found that it diverges as the critical current is approached from above and that it is zero below the critical current. This transition is found to be described quite well by a percolation model

Stress and subsidy effects of seagrass wrack duration, frequency, and magnitude on salt marsh community structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanley, Torrance C; Kimbro, David L; Hughes, Anne Randall

2017-07-01

Environmental perturbations can strongly affect community processes and ecosystem functions by acting primarily as a subsidy that increases productivity, a stress that decreases productivity, or both, with the predominant effect potentially shifting from subsidy to stress as the overall intensity of the perturbation increases. While perturbations are often considered along a single axis of intensity, they consist of multiple components (e.g., magnitude, frequency, and duration) that may not have equivalent stress and/or subsidy effects. Thus, different combinations of perturbation components may elicit community and ecosystem responses that differ in strength and/or direction (i.e., stress or subsidy) even if they reflect a similar overall perturbation intensity. To assess the independent and interactive effects of perturbation components, we experimentally manipulated the magnitude, frequency, and duration of wrack deposition, a common stress-subsidy in a variety of coastal systems. The effects of wrack perturbation on salt marsh community and ecosystem properties were assessed both in the short-term (at the end of a 12-week experimental manipulation) and long-term (6 months after the end of the experiment). In the short-term, plants and associated benthic invertebrates exhibited primarily stress-based responses to wrack perturbation. The extent of these stress effects on density of the dominant plant Spartina alterniflora, total plant percent cover, invertebrate abundance, and sediment oxygen availability were largely determined by perturbation duration. Yet, higher nitrogen content of Spartina, which indicates a subsidy effect of wrack, was influenced primarily by perturbation magnitude in the short-term. In the longer term, perturbation magnitude determined the extent of both stress and subsidy effects of wrack perturbation, with lower subordinate plant percent cover and snail density, and higher Spartina nitrogen content in high wrack biomass treatments

Low-frequency sound exposure causes reversible long-term changes of cochlear transfer characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Drexl, Markus; Otto, Larissa; Wiegrebe, Lutz; Marquardt, Torsten; Gürkov, Robert; Krause, Eike

2016-02-01

Intense, low-frequency sound presented to the mammalian cochlea induces temporary changes of cochlear sensitivity, for which the term 'Bounce' phenomenon has been coined. Typical manifestations are slow oscillations of hearing thresholds or the level of otoacoustic emissions. It has been suggested that these alterations are caused by changes of the mechano-electrical transducer transfer function of outer hair cells (OHCs). Shape estimates of this transfer function can be derived from low-frequency-biased distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE). Here, we tracked the transfer function estimates before and after triggering a cochlear Bounce. Specifically, cubic DPOAEs, modulated by a low-frequency biasing tone, were followed over time before and after induction of the cochlear Bounce. Most subjects showed slow, biphasic changes of the transfer function estimates after low-frequency sound exposure relative to the preceding control period. Our data show that the operating point changes biphasically on the transfer function with an initial shift away from the inflection point followed by a shift towards the inflection point before returning to baseline values. Changes in transfer function and operating point lasted for about 180 s. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that intense, low-frequency sound disturbs regulatory mechanisms in OHCs. The homeostatic readjustment of these mechanisms after low-frequency offset is reflected in slow oscillations of the estimated transfer functions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High frequency oscillations in brain hemodynamic response

Science.gov (United States)

Akin, Ata; Bolay, Hayrunnisa

2007-07-01

Tight autoregulation of vessel tone guarantees proper delivery of nutrients to the tissues. This regulation is maintained at a more delicate level in the brain since any decrease in the supply of glucose and oxygen to neuronal tissues might lead to unrecoverable injury. Functional near infrared spectroscopy has been proposed as a new tool to monitor the cerebrovascular response during cognitive activity. We have observed that during a Stroop task three distinct oscillatory patterns govern the control of the cerebrovascular reactivity: very low frequency (0.02-0.05 Hz), low frequency (0.08-0.12 Hz) and high frequency (0.12-0.18 Hz). High frequency oscillations have been shown to be related to stress level of the subjects. Our findings indicate that as the stress level is increased so does the energy of the high frequency component indicating a higher stimulation from the autonomic nervous system.

Frequency interpretation of hold-time experiments on high temperature low-cycle fatigue of steels for LMFBR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Udoguchi, T.; Asada, Y.; Ichino, I.

1975-01-01

The effect of frequency or hold-time on the low-cycle fatigue strength of AISI 316 stainless steel and SCM 3 Cr--Mo steel for fuel cladding, piping, and other structural members of LMFBR is investigated under high temperature conditions. Push-pull fatigue tests are conducted in air under conditions of fully reversed axial strain-control with a tensile strain hold-time ranging fromm 0 to 120 min for AISI 316, and with a tensile and an equal compressive strain hold-time ranging from 0 to 995 s for SCM 3. In these tests, a decrease of fatigue life is observed as the hold-time is increased. An empirical formula is presented which can predict well the effect of hold-time on high temperature low-cycle fatigue life in terms of frequency. The formula is a little different from those in the literature

Numerical study of induced current perturbations in the vicinity of excitable cells exposed to extremely low frequency magnetic fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassan, Noha; Chatterjee, Indira; Publicover, Nelson G; Craviso, Gale L

2003-01-01

Realistic three-dimensional cell morphologies were modelled to determine the current density induced in excitable cell culture preparations exposed to 60 Hz magnetic fields and to identify important factors that can influence the responses of cells to these fields. Cell morphologies representing single spherical adrenal chromaffin cells, single elongated smooth muscle cells and chromaffin cell aggregates in a Petri dish containing culture medium were modelled using the finite element method. The computations for a spherical cell revealed alterations in the magnitude and spatial distribution of the induced current density in the immediate vicinity of the cell. Maxima occurred at the equatorial sides and minima at the poles. Proximity of cells to each other as well as cell aggregate shape, size and orientation with respect to the induced current influenced the magnitude and spatial distribution of the induced current density. For an elongated cell, effects on the induced current density were highly dependent on cell orientation with respect to the direction of the induced current. These results provide novel insights into the perturbations in induced current that occur in excitable cell culture preparations and lay a foundation for understanding the mechanisms of interaction with extremely low frequency magnetic fields at the tissue level

Effect of low-frequency deep brain stimulation on sensory thresholds in Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Belasen, Abigail; Rizvi, Khizer; Gee, Lucy E; Yeung, Philip; Prusik, Julia; Ramirez-Zamora, Adolfo; Hanspal, Era; Paiva, Priscilla; Durphy, Jennifer; Argoff, Charles E; Pilitsis, Julie G

2017-02-01

OBJECTIVE Chronic pain is a major distressing symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD) that is often undertreated. Subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) delivers high-frequency stimulation (HFS) to patients with PD and has been effective in pain relief in a subset of these patients. However, up to 74% of patients develop new pain concerns while receiving STN DBS. Here the authors explore whether altering the frequency of STN DBS changes pain perception as measured through quantitative sensory testing (QST). METHODS Using QST, the authors measured thermal and mechanical detection and pain thresholds in 19 patients undergoing DBS via HFS, low-frequency stimulation (LFS), and off conditions in a randomized order. Testing was performed in the region of the body with the most pain and in the lower back in patients without chronic pain. RESULTS In the patients with chronic pain, LFS significantly reduced heat detection thresholds as compared with thresholds following HFS (p = 0.029) and in the off state (p = 0.010). Moreover, LFS resulted in increased detection thresholds for mechanical pressure (p = 0.020) and vibration (p = 0.040) compared with these thresholds following HFS. Neither LFS nor HFS led to changes in other mechanical thresholds. In patients without chronic pain, LFS significantly increased mechanical pain thresholds in response to the 40-g pinprick compared with thresholds following HFS (p = 0.032). CONCLUSIONS Recent literature has suggested that STN LFS can be useful in treating nonmotor symptoms of PD. Here the authors demonstrated that LFS modulates thermal and mechanical detection to a greater extent than HFS. Low-frequency stimulation is an innovative means of modulating chronic pain in PD patients receiving STN DBS. The authors suggest that STN LFS may be a future option to consider when treating Parkinson's patients in whom pain remains the predominant complaint.

New generation neonatal high frequency ventilators: effect of oscillatory frequency and working principles on performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Grazioli, Serge; Karam, Oliver; Rimensberger, Peter C

2015-03-01

Several new generation neonatal ventilators that incorporate conventional as well as high frequency ventilation (HFOV) have appeared on the market. Most of them offer the possibility to use HFOV in a volume-targeted mode, despite absence of any preclinical data. With a bench test, we evaluated the performances of 4 new neonatal HFOV devices and compared them to the SensorMedics HFOV device. Expiratory tidal volumes (V(T)) were measured for various ventilator settings and lung characteristics (ie, modifications of compliance and resistance of the system), to mimic several clinical conditions of pre-term and term infants. Increasing the frequency proportionally decreased the V(T) for all the ventilators, although the magnitude of the decrease was highly variable between ventilators. At 15 Hz and a pressure amplitude of 60 cm H2O, the delivered V(T) ranged from 3.5 to 5.9 mL between devices while simulating pre-term infant conditions and from 2.6 to 6.3 mL while simulating term infant conditions. Activating the volume-targeted mode in the 3 machines that offer this mode allowed the V(T) to remain constant over the range of frequencies and with changes of lung mechanical properties, for pre-term infant settings only while targeting a V(T) of 1 mL. These new generation neonatal ventilators were able to deliver adequate V(T) under pre-term infant, but not term infant respiratory system conditions. The clinical relevance of these findings will need to be determined by further studies. Copyright © 2015 by Daedalus Enterprises.

Extremely high frequency RF effects on electronics.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loubriel, Guillermo Manuel; Vigliano, David; Coleman, Phillip Dale; Williams, Jeffery Thomas; Wouters, Gregg A.; Bacon, Larry Donald; Mar, Alan

2012-01-01

The objective of this work was to understand the fundamental physics of extremely high frequency RF effects on electronics. To accomplish this objective, we produced models, conducted simulations, and performed measurements to identify the mechanisms of effects as frequency increases into the millimeter-wave regime. Our purpose was to answer the questions, 'What are the tradeoffs between coupling, transmission losses, and device responses as frequency increases?', and, 'How high in frequency do effects on electronic systems continue to occur?' Using full wave electromagnetics codes and a transmission-line/circuit code, we investigated how extremely high-frequency RF propagates on wires and printed circuit board traces. We investigated both field-to-wire coupling and direct illumination of printed circuit boards to determine the significant mechanisms for inducing currents at device terminals. We measured coupling to wires and attenuation along wires for comparison to the simulations, looking at plane-wave coupling as it launches modes onto single and multiconductor structures. We simulated the response of discrete and integrated circuit semiconductor devices to those high-frequency currents and voltages, using SGFramework, the open-source General-purpose Semiconductor Simulator (gss), and Sandia's Charon semiconductor device physics codes. This report documents our findings.

Modulation of cochlear tuning by low-frequency sound

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klis, J.F.L.; Prijs, V.F.; Latour, J.B.; Smoorenburg, G.F.

1988-01-01

An intense, low-frequency tone (about 30 Hz) modulates the sensitivity of the inner ear to high-frequency stimulation. This modulation is correlated with the displacement of the basilar membrane. The findings suggest that the modulation may also affect cochlear tuning. We have investigated

Design and fabrication of metal-insulator-metal diode for high frequency applications

Science.gov (United States)

Azad, Ibrahim; Ram, Manoj K.; Goswami, D. Yogi; Stefanakos, Elias

2017-02-01

Metal-insulator-metal (MIM) diodes play significant role in high speed electronics where high frequency rectification is needed. Quantum based tunneling mechanism helps MIM diodes to rectify at high frequency signals. Rectenna, antenna coupled MIM diodes are becoming popular due to their potential use as IR detectors and energy harvesters. Because of small active area, MIM diodes could easily be incorporated into integrated circuits (IC's). The objective of the work is to design and develop MIM diodes for high frequency rectification. In this work, thin insulating layer of ZnO was fabricated using Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique which facilitates ultrathin thin, uniform and pinhole free fabrication of insulating layer. The ZnO layer was synthesized from organic precursor of zinc acetate layer. The optimization in the LB technique of fabrication process led to fabricate MIM diodes with high non-linearity and sensitivity. Moreover, the top and bottom electrodes as well as active area of the diodes were patterned using UV-tunneling conduction mechanism. The highest sensitivity of the diode was measured around 37 (A/W), and the rectification ratio was found around 36 under low applied bias at +/-100 mV.

On-line low and high frequency acoustic leak detection and location for an automated steam generator protection system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaubatz, D.C.; Gluekler, E.L.

1990-01-01

Two on-line acoustic leak detection systems were operated and installed on a 76 MW hockey stick steam generator in the Sodium Components Test Installation (SCTI) at the Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC) in Southern California. The low frequency system demonstrated the capability to detect and locate leaks, both intentional and unintentional. No false alarms were issued during the two year test program even with adjacent blasting activities, pneumatic drilling, shuttle rocket engine testing nearby, scrams of the SCTI facility, thermal/hydraulic transient testing, and pump/control valve operations. For the high frequency system the capability to detect water into sodium reactions was established utilizing frequencies as high as 300 kHz. The high frequency system appeared to be sensitive to noise generated by maintenance work and system valve operations. Subsequent development work which is incomplete as of this date showed much more promise for the high frequency system. (author). 13 figs

Joint maximum-likelihood magnitudes of presumed underground nuclear test explosions

Science.gov (United States)

Peacock, Sheila; Douglas, Alan; Bowers, David

2017-08-01

Body-wave magnitudes (mb) of 606 seismic disturbances caused by presumed underground nuclear test explosions at specific test sites between 1964 and 1996 have been derived from station amplitudes collected by the International Seismological Centre (ISC), by a joint inversion for mb and station-specific magnitude corrections. A maximum-likelihood method was used to reduce the upward bias of network mean magnitudes caused by data censoring, where arrivals at stations that do not report arrivals are assumed to be hidden by the ambient noise at the time. Threshold noise levels at each station were derived from the ISC amplitudes using the method of Kelly and Lacoss, which fits to the observed magnitude-frequency distribution a Gutenberg-Richter exponential decay truncated at low magnitudes by an error function representing the low-magnitude threshold of the station. The joint maximum-likelihood inversion is applied to arrivals from the sites: Semipalatinsk (Kazakhstan) and Novaya Zemlya, former Soviet Union; Singer (Lop Nor), China; Mururoa and Fangataufa, French Polynesia; and Nevada, USA. At sites where eight or more arrivals could be used to derive magnitudes and station terms for 25 or more explosions (Nevada, Semipalatinsk and Mururoa), the resulting magnitudes and station terms were fixed and a second inversion carried out to derive magnitudes for additional explosions with three or more arrivals. 93 more magnitudes were thus derived. During processing for station thresholds, many stations were rejected for sparsity of data, obvious errors in reported amplitude, or great departure of the reported amplitude-frequency distribution from the expected left-truncated exponential decay. Abrupt changes in monthly mean amplitude at a station apparently coincide with changes in recording equipment and/or analysis method at the station.

Head-impact mechanisms in men's and women's collegiate ice hockey.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilcox, Bethany J; Machan, Jason T; Beckwith, Jonathan G; Greenwald, Richard M; Burmeister, Emily; Crisco, Joseph J

2014-01-01

Concussion injury rates in men's and women's ice hockey are reported to be among the highest of all collegiate sports. Quantification of the frequency of head impacts and the magnitude of head acceleration as a function of the different impact mechanisms (eg, head contact with the ice) that occur in ice hockey could provide a better understanding of this high injury rate. To quantify and compare the per-game frequency and magnitude of head impacts associated with various impact mechanisms in men's and women's collegiate ice hockey players. Cohort study. Collegiate ice hockey rink. Twenty-three men and 31 women from 2 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I ice hockey teams. We analyzed magnitude and frequency (per game) of head impacts per player among impact mechanisms and between sexes using generalized mixed linear models and generalized estimating equations to account for repeated measures within players. Participants wore helmets instrumented with accelerometers to allow us to collect biomechanical measures of head impacts sustained during play. Video footage from 53 games was synchronized with the biomechanical data. Head impacts were classified into 8 categories: contact with another player; the ice, boards or glass, stick, puck, or goal; indirect contact; and contact from celebrating. For men and women, contact with another player was the most frequent impact mechanism, and contact with the ice generated the greatest-magnitude head accelerations. The men had higher per-game frequencies of head impacts from contact with another player and contact with the boards than did the women (P < .001), and these impacts were greater in peak rotational acceleration (P = .027). Identifying the impact mechanisms in collegiate ice hockey that result in frequent and high-magnitude head impacts will provide us with data that may improve our understanding of the high rate of concussion in the sport and inform injury-prevention strategies.

Color-magnitude diagrams for six metal-rich, low-latitude globular clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Armandroff, Taft E.

1988-01-01

Colors and magnitudes for stars on CCD frames for six metal-rich, low-latitude, previously unstudied globular clusters and one well-studied, metal-rich cluster (47 Tuc) have been derived and color-magnitude diagrams have been constructed. The photometry for stars in 47 Tuc are in good agreement with previous studies, while the V magnitudes of the horizontal-branch stars in the six program clusters do not agree with estimates based on secondary methods. The distances to these clusters are different from prior estimates. Redding values are derived for each program cluster. The horizontal branches of the program clusters all appear to lie entirely redwards of the red edge of the instability strip, as is normal for their metallicities.

Digital Filters for Low Frequency Equalization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tyril, Marni; Abildgaard, J.; Rubak, Per

2001-01-01

Digital filters with high resolution in the low-frequency range are studied. Specifically, for a given computational power, traditional IIR filters are compared with warped FIR filters, warped IIR filters, and modified warped FIR filters termed warped individual z FIR filters (WizFIR). The results...

A cervid vocal fold model suggests greater glottal efficiency in calling at high frequencies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ingo R Titze

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Male Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni produce loud and high fundamental frequency bugles during the mating season, in contrast to the male European Red Deer (Cervus elaphus scoticus who produces loud and low fundamental frequency roaring calls. A critical step in understanding vocal communication is to relate sound complexity to anatomy and physiology in a causal manner. Experimentation at the sound source, often difficult in vivo in mammals, is simulated here by a finite element model of the larynx and a wave propagation model of the vocal tract, both based on the morphology and biomechanics of the elk. The model can produce a wide range of fundamental frequencies. Low fundamental frequencies require low vocal fold strain, but large lung pressure and large glottal flow if sound intensity level is to exceed 70 dB at 10 m distance. A high-frequency bugle requires both large muscular effort (to strain the vocal ligament and high lung pressure (to overcome phonation threshold pressure, but at least 10 dB more intensity level can be achieved. Glottal efficiency, the ration of radiated sound power to aerodynamic power at the glottis, is higher in elk, suggesting an advantage of high-pitched signaling. This advantage is based on two aspects; first, the lower airflow required for aerodynamic power and, second, an acoustic radiation advantage at higher frequencies. Both signal types are used by the respective males during the mating season and probably serve as honest signals. The two signal types relate differently to physical qualities of the sender. The low-frequency sound (Red Deer call relates to overall body size via a strong relationship between acoustic parameters and the size of vocal organs and body size. The high-frequency bugle may signal muscular strength and endurance, via a 'vocalizing at the edge' mechanism, for which efficiency is critical.

Nontrivial effects of high-frequency excitation for strongly damped mechanical systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fidlin, Alexander; Thomsen, Jon Juel

Some nontrivial effects are investigated, which can occur if strongly damped mechanical systems are subjected to strong high-frequency (HF) excitation. The main result is a theoretical prediction, supported by numerical simulation, that for such systems the (quasi-)equilibrium states can change...... that can be substantial (depending on the strength of the HF excitation) for finite values of the damping. The analysis is focused on the differences between the classic results for weakly damped systems, and new effects for which the strong damping terms are responsible. The analysis is based...... on a slightly modified averaging technique, and includes an elementary example of an elliptically excited pendulum for illustration, alongside with a generalization to a broader class of strongly damped dynamical systems with HF excitation. As an application example, the nontrivial behavior of a classical...

Low frequency noise from wind turbines mechanisms of generation and its modelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aagaard Madsen, Helge

2010-01-01

competitive designs compared with the upwind threebladed rotor. The simulation package comprises an aeroelastic time simulation code HAWC2 and an acoustic low frequency noise (LFN) prediction model. Computed time traces of rotor thrust and rotor torque from the aeroelastic model are input to the acoustic...

Low-frequency noise in planar Hall effect bridge sensors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Persson, Anders; Bejhedb, R.S.; Bejhed, R.S.

2011-01-01

The low-frequency characteristics of planar Hall effect bridge sensors are investigated as function of the sensor bias current and the applied magnetic field. The noise spectra reveal a Johnson-like spectrum at high frequencies, and a 1/f-like excess noise spectrum at lower frequencies, with a kn...

A high-switching-frequency flyback converter in resonant mode

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Li, Jianting; van Horck, Frank B.M.; Daniel, Bobby J.; Bergveld, Henk Jan

2017-01-01

The demand of miniaturization of power systems has accelerated the research on high-switching-frequency power converters. A flyback converter in resonant mode that features low switching losses, less transformer losses, and low switching noise at high switching frequency is investigated in this

Frontal delta-beta cross-frequency coupling in high and low social anxiety: An index of stress regulation?

Science.gov (United States)

Poppelaars, Eefje S; Harrewijn, Anita; Westenberg, P Michiel; van der Molen, Melle J W

2018-05-17

Cross-frequency coupling (CFC) between frontal delta (1-4 Hz) and beta (14-30 Hz) oscillations has been suggested as a candidate neural correlate of social anxiety disorder, a disorder characterized by fear and avoidance of social and performance situations. Prior studies have used amplitude-amplitude correlation (AAC) as a CFC measure and hypothesized it as a candidate neural mechanism of affective control. However, using this metric has yielded inconsistent results regarding the direction of CFC, and the functional significance of coupling strength is uncertain. To offer a better understanding of CFC in social anxiety, we compared frontal delta-beta AAC with phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) - a mechanism for information transfer through neural circuits. Twenty high socially anxious (HSA) and 32 low socially anxious (LSA) female undergraduates participated in a social performance task (SPT). Delta-beta PAC and AAC were estimated during the resting state, as well as the anticipation and recovery conditions. Results showed significantly more AAC in LSA than HSA participants during early anticipation, as well as significant values during all conditions in LSA participants only. PAC did not distinguish between LSA and HSA participants, and instead was found to correlate with state nervousness during early anticipation, but in LSA participants only. Together, these findings are interpreted to suggest that delta-beta AAC is a plausible neurobiological index of adaptive stress regulation and can distinguish between trait high and low social anxiety during stress, while delta-beta PAC might be sensitive enough to reflect mild state anxiety in LSA participants.

Frequency selectivity at very low centre frequencies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Orellana, Carlos Andrés Jurado; Pedersen, Christian Sejer; Marquardt, Torsten

2010-01-01

measurements based on OAE suppression techniques and notched-noise masking data psychophysically measured for centre frequencies in the range 50-125 Hz, this study examines how individual differences in frequency selectivity, as well as in masking, may occur at very low CFs due to individual differences...

Low temperature laser scanning microscopy of a superconducting radio-frequency cavity

OpenAIRE

Ciovati, G.; Anlage, Steven M.; Baldwin, C.; Cheng, G.; Flood, R.; Jordan, K.; Kneisel, P.; Morrone, M.; Nemes, G.; Turlington, L.; Wang, H.; Wilson, K.; Zhang, S.

2012-01-01

An apparatus was developed to obtain, for the first time, 2D maps of the surface resistance of the inner surface of an operating superconducting radio-frequency niobium cavity by a low-temperature laser scanning microscopy technique. This allows identifying non-uniformities of the surface resistance with a spatial resolution of about one order of magnitude better than with earlier methods and surface resistance resolution of ~ 1 micro-Ohm at 3.3 GHz. A signal-to-noise ratio of about 10 dB was...

Investigating low-frequency compression using the Grid method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fereczkowski, Michal; Dau, Torsten; MacDonald, Ewen

2016-01-01

in literature. Moreover, slopes of the low-level portions of the BM I/O functions estimated at 500 Hz were examined, to determine whether the 500-Hz off-frequency forward masking curves were affected by compression. Overall, the collected data showed a trend confirming the compressive behaviour. However......There is an ongoing discussion about whether the amount of cochlear compression in humans at low frequencies (below 1 kHz) is as high as that at higher frequencies. It is controversial whether the compression affects the slope of the off-frequency forward masking curves at those frequencies. Here......, the Grid method with a 2-interval 1-up 3-down tracking rule was applied to estimate forward masking curves at two characteristic frequencies: 500 Hz and 4000 Hz. The resulting curves and the corresponding basilar membrane input-output (BM I/O) functions were found to be comparable to those reported...

Low temperature high frequency coaxial pulse tube for space application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Charrier, Aurelia; Charles, Ivan; Rousset, Bernard; Duval, Jean-Marc [SBT, UMR-E CEA / UJF-Grenoble 1, INAC, 17, rue des Martyrs, Grenoble, F-38054 (France); Daniel, Christophe [CNES, 18, avenue Edouard Belin, Toulouse, F-31401 (France)

2014-01-29

The 4K stage is a critical step for space missions. The Hershel mission is using a helium bath, which is consumed day by day (after depletion, the space mission is over) while the Plank mission is equipped with one He4 Joule-Thomson cooler. Cryogenic chain without helium bath is a challenge for space missions and 4.2K Pulse-Tube working at high frequency (around 30Hz) is one option to take it up. A low temperature Pulse-Tube would be suitable for the ESA space mission EChO (Exoplanet Characterisation Observatory, expected launch in 2022), which requires around 30mW cooling power at 6K; and for the ESA space mission ATHENA (Advanced Telescope for High ENergy Astrophysics), to pre-cool the sub-kelvin cooler (few hundreds of mW at 15K). The test bench described in this paper combines a Gifford-McMahon with a coaxial Pulse-Tube. A thermal link is joining the intercept of the Pulse-Tube and the second stage of the Gifford-McMahon. This intercept is a separator between the hot and the cold regenerators of the Pulse-Tube. The work has been focused on the cold part of this cold finger. Coupled with an active phase shifter, this Pulse-Tube has been tested and optimized and temperatures as low as 6K have been obtained at 30Hz with an intercept temperature at 20K.

LOW-FREQUENCY OSCILLATIONS IN XTE J1550-564

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao Fengyun; Belloni, Tomaso; Stella, Luigi; Zhang Shuangnan; Li Tipei

2010-01-01

We present the results of a timing analysis of the low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) in the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer data of the black hole binary XTE J1550-564 during its 1998 outburst. The QPO frequency is observed to vary on timescales between ∼100 s and days, correlated with the count rate contribution from the optically thick accretion disk: we studied this correlation and discuss its influence on the QPO width. In all observations, the quality factors (ν 0 /FWHM) of the fundamental and second harmonic peaks were observed to be consistent, suggesting that the quasi-periodic nature of the oscillation is due to frequency modulation. In addition to the QPO and its harmonic peaks, a new 1.5ν component was detected in the power spectra. This component is broad, with a quality factor of ∼0.6. From this, we argue that the peak observed at half the QPO frequency, usually referred to as 'sub-harmonic', could be the fundamental frequency, leading to the sequence 1:2:3:4. We also studied the energy dependence of the timing features and conclude that the two continuum components observed in the power spectrum, although both more intense at high energies, show a different dependence on energy. At low energies, the lowest-frequency component dominates, while at high energies the higher-frequency one has a higher fractional rms. An interplay between these two components was also observed as a function of their characteristic frequency. In this source, the transition between the low/hard state and the hard-intermediate state appears to be a smooth process.

Non extensivity and frequency magnitude distribution of earthquakes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sotolongo-Costa, Oscar; Posadas, Antonio

2003-01-01

Starting from first principles (in this case a non-extensive formulation of the maximum entropy principle) and a phenomenological approach, an explicit formula for the magnitude distribution of earthquakes is derived, which describes earthquakes in the whole range of magnitudes. The Gutenberg-Richter law appears as a particular case of the obtained formula. Comparison with geophysical data gives a very good agreement

High- and low-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation does not reduce experimental pain in elderly individuals

OpenAIRE

Bergeron-V?zina, Kayla; Corriveau, H?l?ne; Martel, Marylie; Harvey, Marie-Philippe; L?onard, Guillaume

2015-01-01

Abstract Despite its widespread clinical use, the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) remains poorly documented in elderly individuals. In this randomized, double-blind crossover study, we compared the efficacy of high-frequency (HF), low-frequency (LF), and placebo (P) TENS in a group of 15 elderly adults (mean age: 67 ? 5 years). The effect of HF-, LF-, and P-TENS was also evaluated in a group of 15 young individuals (26 ? 5 years; same study design) to validate t...

Observational study of generation conditions of substorm-associated low-frequency AKR emissions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Olsson

2004-11-01

Full Text Available It has lately been shown that low-frequency bursts of auroral kilometric radiation (AKR are nearly exclusively associated with substorm expansion phases. Here we study low-frequency AKR using Polar PWI and Interball POLRAD instruments to constrain its possible generation mechanisms. We find that there are more low-frequency AKR emission events during wintertime and equinoxes than during summertime. The dot-AKR emission radial distance range coincides well with the region where the deepest density cavities are seen statistically during Kp>2. We suggest that the dot-AKR emissions originate in the deepest density cavities during substorm onsets. The mechanism for generating dot-AKR is possibly strong Alfvén waves entering the cavity from the magnetosphere and changing their character to more inertial, which causes the Alfvén wave associated parallel electric field to increase. This field may locally accelerate electrons inside the cavity enough to produce low-frequency AKR emission. We use Interball IESP low-frequency wave data to verify that in about half of the cases the dot-AKR is accompanied by low-frequency wave activity containing a magnetic component, i.e. probably inertial Alfvén waves. Because of the observational geometry, this result is consistent with the idea that inertial Alfvén waves might always be present in the source region when dot-AKR is generated. The paper illustrates once more the importance of radio emissions as a powerful remote diagnostic tool of auroral processes, which is not only relevant for the Earth's magnetosphere but may be relevant in the future in studying extrasolar planets.

A comparative study of near-wall turbulence in high and low Reynolds number boundary layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metzger, M.M.; Klewicki, J.C.

2001-01-01

The present study explores the effects of Reynolds number, over three orders of magnitude, in the viscous wall region of a turbulent boundary layer. Complementary experiments were conducted both in the boundary layer wind tunnel at the University of Utah and in the atmospheric surface layer which flows over the salt flats of the Great Salt Lake Desert in western Utah. The Reynolds numbers, based on momentum deficit thickness, of the two flows were R θ =2x10 3 and R θ ≅5x10 6 , respectively. High-resolution velocity measurements were obtained from a five-element vertical rake of hot-wires spanning the buffer region. In both the low and high R θ flows, the length of the hot-wires measured less than 6 viscous units. To facilitate reliable comparisons, both the laboratory and field experiments employed the same instrumentation and procedures. Data indicate that, even in the immediate vicinity of the surface, strong influences from low-frequency motions at high R θ produce noticeable Reynolds number differences in the streamwise velocity and velocity gradient statistics. In particular, the peak value in the root mean square streamwise velocity profile, when normalized by viscous scales, was found to exhibit a logarithmic dependence on Reynolds number. The mean streamwise velocity profile, on the other hand, appears to be essentially independent of Reynolds number. Spectra and spatial correlation data suggest that low-frequency motions at high Reynolds number engender intensified local convection velocities which affect the structure of both the velocity and velocity gradient fields. Implications for turbulent production mechanisms and coherent motions in the buffer layer are discussed

Low-frequency scaling applied to stochastic finite-fault modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Crane, Stephen; Motazedian, Dariush

2014-01-01

Stochastic finite-fault modeling is an important tool for simulating moderate to large earthquakes. It has proven to be useful in applications that require a reliable estimation of ground motions, mostly in the spectral frequency range of 1 to 10 Hz, which is the range of most interest to engineers. However, since there can be little resemblance between the low-frequency spectra of large and small earthquakes, this portion can be difficult to simulate using stochastic finite-fault techniques. This paper introduces two different methods to scale low-frequency spectra for stochastic finite-fault modeling. One method multiplies the subfault source spectrum by an empirical function. This function has three parameters to scale the low-frequency spectra: the level of scaling and the start and end frequencies of the taper. This empirical function adjusts the earthquake spectra only between the desired frequencies, conserving seismic moment in the simulated spectra. The other method is an empirical low-frequency coefficient that is added to the subfault corner frequency. This new parameter changes the ratio between high and low frequencies. For each simulation, the entire earthquake spectra is adjusted, which may result in the seismic moment not being conserved for a simulated earthquake. These low-frequency scaling methods were used to reproduce recorded earthquake spectra from several earthquakes recorded in the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) Next Generation Attenuation Models (NGA) database. There were two methods of determining the stochastic parameters of best fit for each earthquake: a general residual analysis and an earthquake-specific residual analysis. Both methods resulted in comparable values for stress drop and the low-frequency scaling parameters; however, the earthquake-specific residual analysis obtained a more accurate distribution of the averaged residuals.

Frequency and temperature dependence of high damping elastomers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kulak, R.F.; Hughes, T.H.

1993-01-01

High damping steel-laminated elastomeric seismic isolation bearings are one of the preferred devices for isolating large buildings and structures. In the US, the current reference design for the Advanced Liquid Metal Reactor (ALMR) uses laminated bearings for seismic isolation. These bearings are constructed from alternating layers of high damping rubber and steel plates. They are typically designed for shear strains between 50 and 100% and are expected to sustain two to three times these levels for beyond design basis loading conditions. Elastomeric bearings are currently designed to provide a system frequency between 0.4 and 0.8 Hz and expected to operate between -20 and 40 degrees Centigrade. To assure proper performance of isolation bearings, it is necessary to characterize the elastomer's response under expected variations of frequency and temperature. The dynamic response of the elastomer must be characterized within the frequency range that spans the bearing acceptance test frequency, which may be as low as 0.005 Hz, and the design frequency. Similarly, the variation in mechanical characteristics of the elastomer must be determined over the design temperature range, which is between -20 and 40 degrees Centigrade. This paper reports on (1) the capabilities of a testing facility at ANL for testing candidate elastomers, (2) the variation with frequency and temperature of the stiffness and damping of one candidate elastomer, and (3) the effect of these variations on bearing acceptance testing criteria and on the choice of bearing design values for stiffness and damping

Coupled analysis of multi-impact energy harvesting from low-frequency wind induced vibrations

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Jin; Zhang, Wei

2015-04-01

Energy need from off-grid locations has been critical for effective real-time monitoring and control to ensure structural safety and reliability. To harvest energy from ambient environments, the piezoelectric-based energy-harvesting system has been proven very efficient to convert high frequency vibrations into usable electrical energy. However, due to the low frequency nature of the vibrations of civil infrastructures, such as those induced from vehicle impacts, wind, and waves, the application of a traditional piezoelectric-based energy-harvesting system is greatly restrained since the output power drops dramatically with the reduction of vibration frequencies. This paper focuses on the coupled analysis of a proposed piezoelectric multi-impact wind-energy-harvesting device that can effectively up-convert low frequency wind-induced vibrations into high frequency ones. The device consists of an H-shape beam and four bimorph piezoelectric cantilever beams. The H-shape beam, which can be easily triggered to vibrate at a low wind speed, is originated from the first Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which failed at wind speeds of 18.8 m s-1 in 1940. The multi-impact mechanism between the H-shape beam and the bimorph piezoelectric cantilever beams is incorporated to improve the harvesting performance at lower frequencies. During the multi-impact process, a series of sequential impacts between the H-shape beam and the cantilever beams can trigger high frequency vibrations of the cantilever beams and result in high output power with a considerably high efficiency. In the coupled analysis, the coupled structural, aerodynamic, and electrical equations are solved to obtain the dynamic response and the power output of the proposed harvesting device. A parametric study for several parameters in the coupled analysis framework is carried out including the external resistance, wind speed, and the configuration of the H-shape beam. The average harvested power for the piezoelectric cantilever

High-frequency oscillatory ventilation is not superior to conventional mechanical ventilation in surfactant-treated rabbits with lung injury

NARCIS (Netherlands)

D.A.M.P.J. Gommers (Diederik); A. Hartog (Anneke); R. Schnabel; A. de Jaegere (Anne); B.F. Lachmann (Burkhard)

1999-01-01

textabstractThe aim of this study was to compare high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) with conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) with and without surfactant in the treatment of surfactant-deficient rabbits. A previously described saline lung lavage model of

Membrane-constrained acoustic metamaterials for low frequency sound insulation

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiaole; Zhao, Hui; Luo, Xudong; Huang, Zhenyu

2016-01-01

We present a constrained membrane-type acoustic metamaterial (CMAM) that employs constraint sticks to add out-of-plane dimensions in the design space of MAM. A CMAM sample, which adopts constraint sticks to suppress vibrations at the membrane center, was fabricated to achieve a sound transmission loss (STL) peak of 26 dB at 140 Hz, with the static areal density of 6.0 kg/m2. The working mechanism of the CMAM as an acoustic metamaterial is elucidated by calculating the averaged normal displacement, the equivalent areal density, and the effective dynamic mass of a unit cell through finite element simulations. Furthermore, the vibration modes of the CMAM indicate that the eigenmodes related to STL dips are shifted into high frequencies, thus broadening its effective bandwidth significantly. Three samples possessing the same geometry and material but different constraint areas were fabricated to illustrate the tunability of STL peaks at low frequencies.

Nontrivial effects of high-frequency excitation for strongly damped mechanical systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fidlin, Alexander; Thomsen, Jon Juel

2008-01-01

Some non-trivial effects are investigated, which can occur if strongly damped mechanical systems are subjected to strong high-frequency (HF) excitation. The main result is a theoretical prediction, supported by numerical simulation, that for such systems the (quasi-)equilibrium states can change...... that can be substantial depending on the strength of the HF excitation) for finite values of the damping. The analysis is focused on the differences between the classic results for weakly damped systems, and new effects for which the strong damping terms are responsible. The analysis is based on a slightly...... modified averaging technique, and includes an elementary example of an elliptically excited pendulum for illustration, alongside with a generalization to a broader class of strongly damped dynamical systems with HF excitation. As an application example, the nontrivial behavior of a classical optimally...

Corrosion fatigue crack growth behaviour of low-alloy RPV steels at different temperatures and loading frequencies under BWR/NWC environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ritter, S.; Seifert, H.P.

2004-01-01

The strain-induced corrosion cracking or low-frequency corrosion fatigue (LFCF) crack growth behaviour of different reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels and of a RPV weld filler/weld heat-affected zone (HAZ) material were characterized under simulated transient boiling water reactor/normal water chemistry conditions by cyclic fatigue tests with pre-cracked fracture mechanics specimens. The experiments were performed in oxygenated high-temperature water at temperatures of either 288, 250, 200, or 150 deg. C. Modern high-temperature water loops, on-line crack growth monitoring (DCPD) and fractographic analysis by SEM were used to quantify the cracking response. Under low-flow and highly oxidising conditions (ECP > 0 mV SHE , O 2 = 0.4 ppm) the cycle-based LFCF crack growth rates (CGR) Δa/ΔN increased with decreasing loading frequency and increasing temperature with a maximum/plateau at/above 250 deg. C. Sustained environmentally-assisted crack growth could be maintained down to low frequencies of 10 -5 Hz. The LFCF CGR of low- and high-sulphur steels and of the weld filler/HAZ material were comparable over a wide range of loading conditions and conservatively covered by the 'high-sulphur line' of the General Electric-model. The 'ASME XI wet fatigue CGR curves' could be significantly exceeded in all materials by cyclic fatigue loading at low frequencies ( -2 Hz) at high and low load ratios R. (authors)

High-frequency homogenization of zero frequency stop band photonic and phononic crystals

CERN Document Server

Antonakakis, Tryfon; Guenneau, Sebastien

2013-01-01

We present an accurate methodology for representing the physics of waves, for periodic structures, through effective properties for a replacement bulk medium: This is valid even for media with zero frequency stop-bands and where high frequency phenomena dominate. Since the work of Lord Rayleigh in 1892, low frequency (or quasi-static) behaviour has been neatly encapsulated in effective anisotropic media. However such classical homogenization theories break down in the high-frequency or stop band regime. Higher frequency phenomena are of significant importance in photonics (transverse magnetic waves propagating in infinite conducting parallel fibers), phononics (anti-plane shear waves propagating in isotropic elastic materials with inclusions), and platonics (flexural waves propagating in thin-elastic plates with holes). Fortunately, the recently proposed high-frequency homogenization (HFH) theory is only constrained by the knowledge of standing waves in order to asymptotically reconstruct dispersion curves an...

Reproducibility of frequency-dependent low frequency fluctuations in reaction time over time and across tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zan-Zan; Qu, Hui-Jie; Tian, Zhuo-Ling; Han, Meng-Jian; Fan, Yi; Ge, Lie-Zhong; Zang, Yu-Feng; Zhang, Hang

2017-01-01

Increased levels of reaction time variability (RTV) are characteristics of sustained attention deficits. The clinical significance of RTV has been widely recognized. However, the reliability of RTV measurements has not been widely studied. The present study aimed to assess the test-retest reliability of RTV conventional measurements, e.g., the standard deviation (SD), the coefficient of variation (CV), and a new measurement called the amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) of RT. In addition, we aimed to assess differences and similarities of these measurements between different tasks. Thirty-seven healthy college students participated in 2 tasks, i.e., an Eriksen flanker task (EFT) and a simple reaction task (SRT), twice over a mean interval of 56 days. Conventional measurements of RTV including RT-SD and RT-CV were assessed first. Then the RT time series were converted into frequency domains, and RT-ALFF was further calculated for the whole frequency band (0.0023-0.167 Hz) and for a few sub-frequency bands including Slow-6 (frequency bands (Slow-3), but SRT RT-ALFF values showed slightly higher ICC values than EFT values in lower frequency bands (Slow-5 and Slow-4). 2) RT-ALFF magnitudes in each sub-frequency band were greater for the SRT than those for the EFT. 3) The RT-ALFF in the Slow-4 of the EFT was found to be correlated with the RT-ALFF in the Slow-5 of the SRT for both two visits, but no consistently significant correlation was found between the same frequency bands. These findings reveal good test-retest reliability for conventional measurements and for the RT-ALFF of RTV. The RT-ALFF presented frequency-dependent similarities across tasks. All of our results reveal the presence of different frequency structures between the two tasks, and thus the frequency-dependent characteristics of different tasks deserve more attention in future studies.

Improvement of the low frequency oscillation model for Hall thrusters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Chunsheng, E-mail: wangcs@hit.edu.cn; Wang, Huashan [Yanshan University, College of Vehicles and Energy, Qinhuangdao 066004, Hebei (China)

2016-08-15

The low frequency oscillation of the discharge current in Hall thrusters is a major aspect of these devices that requires further study. While the existing model captures the ionization mechanism of the low frequency oscillation, it unfortunately fails to express the dynamic characteristics of the ion acceleration. The analysis in this paper shows this is because of the simplification of the electron equation, which affects both the electric field distribution and the ion acceleration process. Additionally, the electron density equation is revised and a new model that is based on the physical properties of ion movement is proposed.

Analytical Solutions of Electromagnetic Fields from Current Dipole Moment on Spherical Conductor in a Low-Frequency Approximation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okita, Taishi; Takagi, Toshiyuki

2010-01-01

We analytically derive the solutions for electromagnetic fields of electric current dipole moment, which is placed in the exterior of the spherical homogeneous conductor, and is pointed along the radial direction. The dipole moment is driven in the low frequency f = 1 kHz and high frequency f = 1 GHz regimes. The electrical properties of the conductor are appropriately chosen in each frequency. Electromagnetic fields are rigorously formulated at an arbitrary point in a spherical geometry, in which the magnetic vector potential is straightforwardly given by the Biot-Savart formula, and the scalar potential is expanded with the Legendre polynomials, taking into account the appropriate boundary conditions at the spherical surface of the conductor. The induced electric fields are numerically calculated along the several paths in the low and high frequency excitation. The self-consistent solutions obtained in this work will be of much importance in a wide region of electromagnetic induction problems. (electromagnetism, optics, acoustics, heat transfer, classical mechanics, and fluid dynamics)

Dependence of mechanical characteristics from composition and structure and optimization of mechanical fracture energy of polymer composite material based on high-molecular rubbers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Nurullaev

2017-07-01

Full Text Available By means of numerical experiment the authors investigate dependence of conventional rupturing stress and mechanical fracture energy at uniaxial tension from fractional composition of dispersed filler, plasticizer volume fraction in polymer binder, effective density of transverse bonds, applied to development of covering for different purposes and with advanced service life in temperature range from 223 to 323 K. They compare mechanical characteristics of polymer composite materials (PCMs based on high- and low-molecular rubbers. It was shown that rupturing stress of high-molecular rubber-based PCM is of a higher magnitude than the stress of low-molecular rubber-based one at almost invariable rupturing deformation. Numerical simulation by variation of composition parameters and molecular structure enables evaluation of its maximum fracture energy which is 1000 times higher than mechanical fracture energy of similar composites based on low-molecular rubbers.

DATA ACQUISITION AND ANALYSIS OF LOW FREQUENCY ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

PETRICA POPOV

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In recent years more and more studies have shown that, the low frequency field strength (particularly magnetic, 50 / 60Hz are a major risk factor; according to some specialists - even more important as the radiation field. As a result, the personnel serving equipment and facilities such as: electric generators, synchronous, the motors, the inverters or power transformers is subjected continually to intense fields, in their vicinity, with possible harmful effects in the long term by affecting metabolism cell, espectively, the biological mechanisms.Therefore, finding new methods and tools for measurement and analysis of low frequency electromagnetic fields may lead to improved standards for exposure limits of the human body.

Low frequency steady-state brain responses modulate large scale functional networks in a frequency-specific means.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yi-Feng; Long, Zhiliang; Cui, Qian; Liu, Feng; Jing, Xiu-Juan; Chen, Heng; Guo, Xiao-Nan; Yan, Jin H; Chen, Hua-Fu

2016-01-01

Neural oscillations are essential for brain functions. Research has suggested that the frequency of neural oscillations is lower for more integrative and remote communications. In this vein, some resting-state studies have suggested that large scale networks function in the very low frequency range (frequency characteristics of brain networks because both resting-state studies and conventional frequency tagging approaches cannot simultaneously capture multiple large scale networks in controllable cognitive activities. In this preliminary study, we aimed to examine whether large scale networks can be modulated by task-induced low frequency steady-state brain responses (lfSSBRs) in a frequency-specific pattern. In a revised attention network test, the lfSSBRs were evoked in the triple network system and sensory-motor system, indicating that large scale networks can be modulated in a frequency tagging way. Furthermore, the inter- and intranetwork synchronizations as well as coherence were increased at the fundamental frequency and the first harmonic rather than at other frequency bands, indicating a frequency-specific modulation of information communication. However, there was no difference among attention conditions, indicating that lfSSBRs modulate the general attention state much stronger than distinguishing attention conditions. This study provides insights into the advantage and mechanism of lfSSBRs. More importantly, it paves a new way to investigate frequency-specific large scale brain activities. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Factors constraining the benefit to speech understanding of combining information from low-frequency hearing and a cochlear implant.

Science.gov (United States)

Dorman, Michael F; Cook, Sarah; Spahr, Anthony; Zhang, Ting; Loiselle, Louise; Schramm, David; Whittingham, JoAnne; Gifford, Rene

2015-04-01

Many studies have documented the benefits to speech understanding when cochlear implant (CI) patients can access low-frequency acoustic information from the ear opposite the implant. In this study we assessed the role of three factors in determining the magnitude of bimodal benefit - (i) the level of CI-only performance, (ii) the magnitude of the hearing loss in the ear with low-frequency acoustic hearing and (iii) the type of test material. The patients had low-frequency PTAs (average of 125, 250 and 500 Hz) varying over a large range (70 dB HL) in the ear contralateral to the implant. The patients were tested with (i) CNC words presented in quiet (n = 105) (ii) AzBio sentences presented in quiet (n = 102), (iii) AzBio sentences in noise at +10 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) (n = 69), and (iv) AzBio sentences at +5 dB SNR (n = 64). We find maximum bimodal benefit when (i) CI scores are less than 60 percent correct, (ii) hearing loss is less than 60 dB HL in low-frequencies and (iii) the test material is sentences presented against a noise background. When these criteria are met, some bimodal patients can gain 40-60 percentage points in performance relative to performance with a CI. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled . Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Responses of the ear to low frequency sounds, infrasound and wind turbines.

Science.gov (United States)

Salt, Alec N; Hullar, Timothy E

2010-09-01

Infrasonic sounds are generated internally in the body (by respiration, heartbeat, coughing, etc) and by external sources, such as air conditioning systems, inside vehicles, some industrial processes and, now becoming increasingly prevalent, wind turbines. It is widely assumed that infrasound presented at an amplitude below what is audible has no influence on the ear. In this review, we consider possible ways that low frequency sounds, at levels that may or may not be heard, could influence the function of the ear. The inner ear has elaborate mechanisms to attenuate low frequency sound components before they are transmitted to the brain. The auditory portion of the ear, the cochlea, has two types of sensory cells, inner hair cells (IHC) and outer hair cells (OHC), of which the IHC are coupled to the afferent fibers that transmit "hearing" to the brain. The sensory stereocilia ("hairs") on the IHC are "fluid coupled" to mechanical stimuli, so their responses depend on stimulus velocity and their sensitivity decreases as sound frequency is lowered. In contrast, the OHC are directly coupled to mechanical stimuli, so their input remains greater than for IHC at low frequencies. At very low frequencies the OHC are stimulated by sounds at levels below those that are heard. Although the hair cells in other sensory structures such as the saccule may be tuned to infrasonic frequencies, auditory stimulus coupling to these structures is inefficient so that they are unlikely to be influenced by airborne infrasound. Structures that are involved in endolymph volume regulation are also known to be influenced by infrasound, but their sensitivity is also thought to be low. There are, however, abnormal states in which the ear becomes hypersensitive to infrasound. In most cases, the inner ear's responses to infrasound can be considered normal, but they could be associated with unfamiliar sensations or subtle changes in physiology. This raises the possibility that exposure to the

High-frequency, low-intensity vibrations increase bone mass and muscle strength in upper limbs, improving autonomy in disabled children.

Science.gov (United States)

Reyes, M Loreto; Hernández, Marta; Holmgren, Luz J; Sanhueza, Enrique; Escobar, Raúl G

2011-08-01

Disuse osteoporosis in children is a progressive disease that can affect quality of life. High-frequency, low-magnitude vibration (HFLMV) acts as an anabolic signal for bone and muscle. We undertook a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to assess the efficacy and safety of regional HFLMV in disabled children. Sixty-five children 6 to 9 year of age were randomized into three groups: placebo, 60 Hz, and 90 Hz. In the two active groups, a 0.3-g mechanical vibration was delivered to the radii and femurs for 5 minutes each day. After 6 months, the main endpoint was bone mineral density (BMD) at the ultradistal radius (UDR), 33% radii (33%R), and femoral necks (FN). Secondary endpoints were area and bone mineral content (BMC) at the UDR, 33%R, and FN; grip force of the upper and lower limbs; motor function; and PedsQL evaluation. An intention-to-treat analysis was used. Fifty-seven children (88%) completed the protocol. A significant increase was observed in the 60-Hz group relative to the other groups in BMD at the UDR (p = .011), in grip force of the upper limbs (p = .035), and in the "daily activities item" (p = .035). A mixed model to evaluate the response to intervention showed a stronger effect of 60 Hz on patients with cerebral palsy on the UDR and that between-subject variability significantly affected the response. There were no reported side effects of the intervention. This work provides evidence that regional HFLMV is an effective and safe strategy to improve bone mass, muscle strength, and possibly independence in children with motor disabilities. Copyright © 2011 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Dissipative elastic metamaterial with a low-frequency passband

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Yongquan Liu

2017-06-01

Full Text Available We design and experimentally demonstrate a dissipative elastic metamaterial structure that functions as a bandpass filter with a low-frequency passband. The mechanism of dissipation in this structure is well described by a mass-spring-damper model that reveals that the imaginary part of the wavenumber is non-zero, even in the passband of dissipative metamaterials. This indicates that transmittance in this range can be low. A prototype for this viscoelastic metamaterial model is fabricated by 3D printing techniques using soft and hard acrylics as constituent materials. The transmittance of the printed metamaterial is measured and shows good agreement with theoretical predictions, demonstrating its potential in the design of compact waveguides, filters and other advanced devices for controlling mechanical waves.

Development Of High-Resolution Mechanical Spectroscopy, HRMS: Status And Perspectives. HRMS Coupled With A Laser Dilatometer

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Magalas L.B.

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Recent achievements in the development of low-frequency high-resolution mechanical spectroscopy (HRMS are briefly reported. It is demonstrated that extremely low values of the loss angle, ϕ, (tanϕb = 1×10−5 can be measured as a function of frequency, and the precision in estimation of the dynamic modulus is better than 1×10−5 in arbitrary units. Three conditions must be fulfilled to obtain high resolution in subresonant and resonant mechanical loss measurements: (1 noise in stress and elastic strain signals must be lower than 70 dB, (2 high quality of stress and strain signals must be tested both in the frequency- and time-domains, and (3 the estimation of the mechanical loss and modulus must be verified by at least two different computing methods operating in the frequency- and time-domains. It is concluded that phase measurements in the subresonant domain are no longer determined by precision in estimation of the loss angle. Recent developments in high-resolution resonant mechanical loss measurements stem from the application of advanced nonparametric and parametric computing methods and algorithms to estimate the logarithmic decrement and the elastic modulus from exponentially damped free decaying oscillations embedded in experimental noise.

Low frequency sound field enhancement system for rectangular rooms using multiple low frequency loudspeakers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Celestinos, Adrian; Nielsen, Sofus Birkedal

2006-01-01

an enhancement system with extra loudspeakers the sound pressure level distribution along the listening area presents a significant improvement in the subwoofer frequency range. The system is simulated and implemented on the three different rooms and finally verified by measurements on the real rooms.......Rectangular rooms have strong influence on the low frequency performance of loudspeakers. Simulations of three different room sizes have been carried out using finite-difference time-domain method (FDTD) in order to predict the behaviour of the sound field at low frequencies. By using...

The influence of non thermal coherent EMR with low intensity and extremely high frequency on total activity and isoenzyme composition of peroxidase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nerkararyan, A.V.; Shahinyan, M.A.; Khachatryan, A.V.; Vardevanyan, P.O.

2011-01-01

In this work the influence of non-thermal coherent electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with low intensity and extremely high frequency on intensity of wheat developing germ metabolism has been investigated. Particularly, total activity and isoenzymatic composition of peroxidase of germ cells have been determined during their growth. The role of water in formation of organism response reaction to the external physical field effect has also been investigated. It has been shown, that water appears to be a primary element of extremely high frequency EMR effect on bio system. Extremely high frequency EMR irradiation of germinating seeds and the cultivation of dry seeds and their germs by irradiated water stimulate peroxidase synthesis in germ cells. The redistribution of quantitative composition of peroxidase molecular forms takes place in germ cells effected by EMR with extremely high frequency and low intensity

Scaling Relations of Local Magnitude versus Moment Magnitude for Sequences of Similar Earthquakes in Switzerland

KAUST Repository

Bethmann, F.

2011-03-22

Theoretical considerations and empirical regressions show that, in the magnitude range between 3 and 5, local magnitude, ML, and moment magnitude, Mw, scale 1:1. Previous studies suggest that for smaller magnitudes this 1:1 scaling breaks down. However, the scatter between ML and Mw at small magnitudes is usually large and the resulting scaling relations are therefore uncertain. In an attempt to reduce these uncertainties, we first analyze the ML versus Mw relation based on 195 events, induced by the stimulation of a geothermal reservoir below the city of Basel, Switzerland. Values of ML range from 0.7 to 3.4. From these data we derive a scaling of ML ~ 1:5Mw over the given magnitude range. We then compare peak Wood-Anderson amplitudes to the low-frequency plateau of the displacement spectra for six sequences of similar earthquakes in Switzerland in the range of 0:5 ≤ ML ≤ 4:1. Because effects due to the radiation pattern and to the propagation path between source and receiver are nearly identical at a particular station for all events in a given sequence, the scatter in the data is substantially reduced. Again we obtain a scaling equivalent to ML ~ 1:5Mw. Based on simulations using synthetic source time functions for different magnitudes and Q values estimated from spectral ratios between downhole and surface recordings, we conclude that the observed scaling can be explained by attenuation and scattering along the path. Other effects that could explain the observed magnitude scaling, such as a possible systematic increase of stress drop or rupture velocity with moment magnitude, are masked by attenuation along the path.

Sub-populations of alcohol-dependent patients: differences in psychological functioning between high- and low-frequency alcohol consumers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hiltunen, A J; Koechling, U M; Voltaire-Carlsson, A; Borg, S

1996-07-01

The purpose of the present study was to examine the processes underlying relapse to drinking using objective biological validation of self-reported recent alcohol consumption, using the ratio of 5-hydroxytryptophol to 5-hydroxyindol-3-ylacetic acid (5-HTOL/5-HIAA), a new biological marker to detect single episodes of drinking, in a sample of 38 male alcohol-dependent patients (DSM-III-R) who were assessed prospectively in terms of their clinical symptomatology over a 6-month treatment period. Results showed that nearly all patients obtained positive 5-HTOL/5-HIAA samples during the course of treatment. However, upon closer inspection, results revealed a bimodal distribution for alcohol intake with high and low frequency of consumption episodes. Results showed that high frequency consumers obtained higher ratings of clinical symptoms as measured by the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale (CPRS) and by the St Göran's Semi-structured Interview (SGSI) compared to low frequency alcohol consumers on symptoms of inner tension, lack of initiative, risk of relapse (as rated by therapists and as rated by patients themselves), dysphoria, negative craving for alcohol, and positive craving for alcohol. The present results provided evidence for the existence of two sub-populations of alcoholics, those who have frequent lapses and those who have low frequency of sporadic lapses. Further, these two sub-populations were shown to differ with respect to overall psychological functioning, and craving for alcohol. In conclusion, the present findings have important treatment implications in that reliable identification of patients' consumption patterns using biological markers would allow for the design of individually tailored treatment needs.

Extremely high Q-factor mechanical modes in quartz bulk acoustic wave resonators at millikelvin temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goryachev, M.; Creedon, D. L.; Ivanov, E. N.; Tobar, M. E. [ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley WA 6009 (Australia); Galliou, S.; Bourquin, R. [Department of Time and Frequency, FEMTO-ST Institute, ENSMM, 26 Chemin de l' Épitaphe, 25000, Besançon (France)

2014-12-04

We demonstrate that Bulk Acoustic Wave (BAW) quartz resonator cooled down to millikelvin temperatures are excellent building blocks for hybrid quantum systems with extremely long coherence times. Two overtones of the longitudinal mode at frequencies of 15.6 and 65.4 MHz demonstrate a maximum f.Q product of 7.8×10{sup 16} Hz. With this result, the Q-factor in such devices near the quantum ground state can be four orders of magnitude better than previously attained in other mechanical systems. Tested quartz resonators possess the ultra low acoustic losses crucial for electromagnetic cooling to the phonon ground state.

Magnitude and Mechanism of Siderophore-Mediated Competition at Low Iron Solubility in the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pyochelin System

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Konstanze T. Schiessl

2017-10-01

Full Text Available A central question in microbial ecology is whether microbial interactions are predominantly cooperative or competitive. The secretion of siderophores, microbial iron chelators, is a model system for cooperative interactions. However, siderophores have also been shown to mediate competition by sequestering available iron and making it unavailable to competitors. The details of how siderophores mediate competition are not well understood, especially considering the complex distribution of iron phases in the environment. One pertinent question is whether sequestering iron through siderophores can indeed be effective in natural conditions; many natural environments are characterized by large pools of precipitated iron, and it is conceivable that any soluble iron that is sequestered by siderophores is replenished by the dissolution of these precipitated iron sources. Our goal here was to address this issue, and investigate the magnitude and mechanism of siderophore-mediated competition in the presence of precipitated iron. We combined experimental work with thermodynamic modeling, using Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a model system and ferrihydrite precipitates as the iron source with low solubility. Our experiments show that competitive growth inhibition by the siderophore pyochelin is indeed efficient, and that inhibition of a competitor can even have a stronger growth-promoting effect than solubilization of precipitated iron. Based on the results of our thermodynamic models we conclude that the observed inhibition of a competitor is effective because sequestered iron is only very slowly replenished by the dissolution of precipitated iron. Our research highlights the importance of competitive benefits mediated by siderophores, and underlines that the dynamics of siderophore production and uptake in environmental communities could be a signature of competitive, not just cooperative, dynamics.

Magnitude and Mechanism of Siderophore-Mediated Competition at Low Iron Solubility in the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pyochelin System.

Science.gov (United States)

Schiessl, Konstanze T; Janssen, Elisabeth M-L; Kraemer, Stephan M; McNeill, Kristopher; Ackermann, Martin

2017-01-01

A central question in microbial ecology is whether microbial interactions are predominantly cooperative or competitive. The secretion of siderophores, microbial iron chelators, is a model system for cooperative interactions. However, siderophores have also been shown to mediate competition by sequestering available iron and making it unavailable to competitors. The details of how siderophores mediate competition are not well understood, especially considering the complex distribution of iron phases in the environment. One pertinent question is whether sequestering iron through siderophores can indeed be effective in natural conditions; many natural environments are characterized by large pools of precipitated iron, and it is conceivable that any soluble iron that is sequestered by siderophores is replenished by the dissolution of these precipitated iron sources. Our goal here was to address this issue, and investigate the magnitude and mechanism of siderophore-mediated competition in the presence of precipitated iron. We combined experimental work with thermodynamic modeling, using Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a model system and ferrihydrite precipitates as the iron source with low solubility. Our experiments show that competitive growth inhibition by the siderophore pyochelin is indeed efficient, and that inhibition of a competitor can even have a stronger growth-promoting effect than solubilization of precipitated iron. Based on the results of our thermodynamic models we conclude that the observed inhibition of a competitor is effective because sequestered iron is only very slowly replenished by the dissolution of precipitated iron. Our research highlights the importance of competitive benefits mediated by siderophores, and underlines that the dynamics of siderophore production and uptake in environmental communities could be a signature of competitive, not just cooperative, dynamics.

Low intensity radiation in diapazone of high frequency as factor of the survival modification of differentiated plant cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tordiya, N.V.

2005-01-01

The combined effect of low intensity electromagnetic emission in high frequency range (EMI HF) and ionizing radiation on survival of the differential cells of high plant water Elodea canadensis is investigated. It was established, that EMI HF is radioprotective modification of the radiation injury of plant cell

Frequency and Magnitude Analysis of the Macro-instability Related Component of the Tangential Force Affecting Radial Baffles in a Stirred Vessel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Hasal

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Experimental data obtained by measuring the tangential component of force affecting radial baffles in a flat-bottomed cylindrical mixing vessel stirred with pitched blade impellers is analysed. The maximum mean tangential force is detected at the vessel bottom. The mean force value increases somewhat with decreasing impeller off-bottom clearance and is noticeably affected by the number of impeller blades. Spectral analysis of the experimental data clearly demonstrated the presence of its macro-instability (MI related low-frequency component embedded in the total force at all values of impeller Reynolds number. The dimensionless frequency of the occurrence of the MI force component is independent of stirring speed, position along the baffle, number of impeller blades and liquid viscosity. Its mean value is about 0.074. The relative magnitude (QMI of the MI-related component of the total force is evaluated by a combination of proper orthogonal decomposition (POD and spectral analysis. Relative magnitude QMI was analysed in dependence on the frequency of the impeller revolution, the axial position of the measuring point in the vessel, the number of impeller blades, the impeller off-bottom clearance, and liquid viscosity. Higher values of QMI are observed at higher impeller off-bottom clearance height and (generally QMI decreases slightly with increasing impeller speed. The QMI value decreases in the direction from vessel bottom to liquid level. No evident difference was observed between 4 blade and 6 blade impellers. Liquid viscosity has only a marginal impact on the QMI value.

Validation of the force and frequency characteristics of the activator adjusting instrument: effectiveness as a mechanical impedance measurement tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Keller, T S; Colloca, C J; Fuhr, A W

1999-02-01

To determine the dynamic force-time and force-frequency characteristics of the Activator Adjusting Instrument and to validate its effectiveness as a mechanical impedance measurement device; in addition, to refine or optimize the force-frequency characteristics of the Activator Adjusting Instrument to provide enhanced dynamic structural measurement reliability and accuracy. An idealized test structure consisting of a rectangular steel beam with a static stiffness similar to that of the human thoracolumbar spine was used for validation of a method to determine the dynamic mechanical response of the spine. The Activator Adjusting Instrument equipped with a load cell and accelerometer was used to measure forces and accelerations during mechanical excitation of the steel beam. Driving point and transfer mechanical impedance and resonant frequency of the beam were determined by use of a frequency spectrum analysis for different force settings, stylus masses, and stylus tips. Results were compared with beam theory and transfer impedance measurements obtained by use of a commercial electronic PCB impact hammer. The Activator Adjusting Instrument imparted a very complex dynamic impact comprising an initial high force (116 to 140 N), short duration pulse (analysis of the Activator Adjusting Instrument impulse indicated that the Activator Adjusting Instrument has a variable force spectrum and delivers its peak energy at a frequency of 20 Hz. Added masses and different durometer stylus tips had very little influence on the Activator Adjusting Instrument force spectrum. The resonant frequency of the beam was accurately predicted by both the Activator Adjusting Instrument and electronic PCB impact hammer, but variations in the magnitude of the driving point impedance at the resonant frequency were high (67%) compared with the transfer impedance measurements obtained with the electronic PCB impact hammer, which had a more uniform force spectrum and was more repeatable (frequency

High frequency oscillatory ventilation with lung volume optimization in very low birth weight newborns – a nine-year experience

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José Nona

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the clinical outcome of very low birth weight newborns, submitted to high frequency oscillatory ventilation with a strategy of early lung volume optimization. Methods: Descriptive prospective study in a nine-year period, between 1999 January 1st to 2008 January 1st. All the very low birth weight newborns were born in Dr. Alfredo da Costa Maternity, Lisbon, Portugal, were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and submitted to high frequency oscillatory ventilation with early lung volume optimization; these newborns were followed-up since birth and their charts were analyzed periodically until hospital discharge. Rresults: From a total population of 730 very low birth weight inborns, 117 babies died (16% and 613 survived (84%. The median of birth weight was 975 g and the gestational age median was 28 weeks. For the survivors, the median ventilation and oxygenation times were 3 and 18 days, respectively. The incidence of chronic lung disease was 9.5%, with nine newborns discharged on oxygen therapy. The incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage III – IV (total population group was 11.5% and the incidence of retinopathy of prematurity grade 3 or higher was 8.0%. Cconclusions: High frequency oscillatory ventilation with early lung volume optimization strategy reduced the need of respiratory support, and improved pulmonary and global outcomes in very low birth weight infants with respiratory distress syndrome.

[Early hypophosphataemia in at risk newborns. Frequency and magnitude].

Science.gov (United States)

Bustos Lozano, Gerardo; Hidalgo Romero, Álvaro; Melgar Bonis, Ana; Ureta Velasco, Noelia; Orbea Gallardo, Carlos; Pallás Alonso, Carmen

2018-04-01

To determine the frequency and magnitude of neonatal hypophosphataemia (32 weeks with weight

Every photon counts: improving low, mid, and high-spatial frequency errors on astronomical optics and materials with MRF

Science.gov (United States)

Maloney, Chris; Lormeau, Jean Pierre; Dumas, Paul

2016-07-01

Many astronomical sensing applications operate in low-light conditions; for these applications every photon counts. Controlling mid-spatial frequencies and surface roughness on astronomical optics are critical for mitigating scattering effects such as flare and energy loss. By improving these two frequency regimes higher contrast images can be collected with improved efficiency. Classically, Magnetorheological Finishing (MRF) has offered an optical fabrication technique to correct low order errors as well has quilting/print-through errors left over in light-weighted optics from conventional polishing techniques. MRF is a deterministic, sub-aperture polishing process that has been used to improve figure on an ever expanding assortment of optical geometries, such as planos, spheres, on and off axis aspheres, primary mirrors and freeform optics. Precision optics are routinely manufactured by this technology with sizes ranging from 5-2,000mm in diameter. MRF can be used for form corrections; turning a sphere into an asphere or free form, but more commonly for figure corrections achieving figure errors as low as 1nm RMS while using careful metrology setups. Recent advancements in MRF technology have improved the polishing performance expected for astronomical optics in low, mid and high spatial frequency regimes. Deterministic figure correction with MRF is compatible with most materials, including some recent examples on Silicon Carbide and RSA905 Aluminum. MRF also has the ability to produce `perfectly-bad' compensating surfaces, which may be used to compensate for measured or modeled optical deformation from sources such as gravity or mounting. In addition, recent advances in MRF technology allow for corrections of mid-spatial wavelengths as small as 1mm simultaneously with form error correction. Efficient midspatial frequency corrections make use of optimized process conditions including raster polishing in combination with a small tool size. Furthermore, a novel MRF

Effects of Multimedia Instruction on L2 Acquisition of High-Level, Low-Frequency English Vocabulary Words

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Euna

2017-01-01

The present study examined the effects of multimedia enhancement in video form in addition to textual information on L2 vocabulary instruction for high-level, low-frequency English words among Korean learners of English. Although input-based incidental learning of L2 vocabulary through extensive reading has been conventionally believed to be…

A frequency interpretation of hold-time experiments on high temperature low-cycle fatigue of steels for LMFBR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Udoguchi, T.; Asada, Y.; Ichino, I.

1975-01-01

The effect of frequency or hold-time on the low-cycle fatigue strength of AISI 316 stainless steel and SCM 3 Cr-Mo steel for fuel cladding, piping and other structural members of LMFBR is investigated under high temperature conditions. Push-pull fatigue tests are conducted in air under conditions of fully reversed axial strain-control with a tensile strain hold-time ranging from 0 to 120 min for AISI 316, and with a tensile and an equal compressive strain hold-time ranging from 0 to 995 s for SCM 3. In these tests, a considerable decrease of fatigue life is observed as the hold-time is increased. An empirical formula is presented which can predict well the effect of hold-time on high temperature low-cycle fatigue life in terms of frequency. The formula is a little different from those in the literature. (author)

Low-frequency electromagnetic radiation field interaction with cerebral nervous MT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao Feng; Zhou Yi; Xiao Detao; Zhang Dengyu

2009-01-01

We investigate the interaction characteristics and mechanism of electromagnetic radiation field and cerebral nervous system. When the electromagnetic radiation is non-ionization low-frequency electromagnetic field, the two-state physical system in the cytoskeletal microtubule (MT) can be quantized. The state of information bits in cerebral neurons system is described by density matrix, and the system dynamics equation is established and solved. It indicates that when the brain is exposed to non-ionization low-frequency electromagnetic field, the density matrix non-opposite angle element of cerebral nervous qubit will never be zero, its quantum coherence characteristic can keep well, and the brain function will also be not damaged. (authors)

Practically Efficient Blind Speech Separation Using Frequency Band Selection Based on Magnitude Squared Coherence and a Small Dodecahedral Microphone Array

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kazunobu Kondo

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Small agglomerative microphone array systems have been proposed for use with speech communication and recognition systems. Blind source separation methods based on frequency domain independent component analysis have shown significant separation performance, and the microphone arrays are small enough to make them portable. However, the level of computational complexity involved is very high because the conventional signal collection and processing method uses 60 microphones. In this paper, we propose a band selection method based on magnitude squared coherence. Frequency bands are selected based on the spatial and geometric characteristics of the microphone array device which is strongly related to the dodecahedral shape, and the selected bands are nonuniformly spaced. The estimated reduction in the computational complexity is 90% with a 68% reduction in the number of frequency bands. Separation performance achieved during our experimental evaluation was 7.45 (dB (signal-to-noise ratio and 2.30 (dB (cepstral distortion. These results show improvement in performance compared to the use of uniformly spaced frequency band.

Postprandial changes in cardiometabolic disease risk in young Chinese men following isocaloric high or low protein diets, stratified by either high or low meal frequency - a randomized controlled crossover trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Mok, Alexander; Haldar, Sumanto; Lee, Jetty Chung-Yung; Leow, Melvin Khee-Shing; Henry, Christiani Jeyakumar

2016-03-15

Cardio-Metabolic Disease (CMD) is the leading cause of death globally and particularly in Asia. Postprandial elevation of glycaemia, insulinaemia, triglyceridaemia are associated with an increased risk of CMD. While studies have shown that higher protein intake or increased meal frequency may benefit postprandial metabolism, their combined effect has rarely been investigated using composite mixed meals. We therefore examined the combined effects of increasing meal frequency (2-large vs 6-smaller meals), with high or low-protein (40 % vs 10 % energy from protein respectively) isocaloric mixed meals on a range of postprandial CMD risk markers. In a randomized crossover study, 10 healthy Chinese males (Age: 29 ± 7 years; BMI: 21.9 ± 1.7 kg/m(2)) underwent 4 dietary treatments: CON-2 (2 large Low-Protein meals), CON-6 (6 Small Low-Protein meals), PRO-2 (2 Large High-Protein meals) and PRO-6 (6 Small High-Protein meals). Subjects wore a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and venous blood samples were obtained at baseline and at regular intervals for 8.5 h to monitor postprandial changes in glucose, insulin, triglycerides and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP). Blood pressure was measured at regular intervals pre- and post- meal consumption. Urine was collected to measure excretion of creatinine and F2-isoprostanes and its metabolites over the 8.5 h postprandial period. The high-protein meals, irrespective of meal frequency were beneficial for glycaemic health since glucose incremental area under the curve (iAUC) for PRO-2 (185 ± 166 mmol.min.L(-1)) and PRO-6 (214 ± 188 mmol.min.L(-1)) were 66 and 60 % lower respectively (both p meals with higher protein content, irrespective of meal frequency appears to be beneficial for postprandial glycemic and insulinemic responses in young, healthy Chinese males. Implications of this study may be useful in the Asian context where the consumption of high glycemic index, carbohydrate meals is prevalent. NCT02529228 .

Experimental and numerical assessment of low-frequency current distributions from UMTS and GSM mobile phones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gosselin, Marie-Christine; Kühn, Sven; Kuster, Niels

2013-01-01

The evaluation of the exposure from mobile communication devices requires consideration of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) over a broad frequency range from dc to GHz. Mobile phones in operation have prominent spectral components in the low-frequency (LF) and radio-frequency (RF) ranges. While the exposure to RF fields from mobile phones has been comprehensively assessed in the past, the LF fields have received much less attention. In this study, LF fields from mobile phones are assessed experimentally and numerically for the global system for mobile (GSM) and universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) communication systems and conclusions about the global (LF and RF) EMF exposure from both systems are drawn. From the measurements of the time-domain magnetic fields, it was found that the contribution from the audio signal at a normal speech level, i.e., −16 dBm0, is the same order of magnitude as the fields induced by the current bursts generated from the implementation of the GSM communication system at maximum RF output level. The B-field induced by currents in phones using the UMTS is two orders of magnitude lower than that induced by GSM. Knowing that the RF exposure from the UMTS is also two orders of magnitude lower than from GSM, it is now possible to state that there is an overall reduction of the exposure from this communication system. (paper)

Experimental and numerical assessment of low-frequency current distributions from UMTS and GSM mobile phones

Science.gov (United States)

Gosselin, Marie-Christine; Kühn, Sven; Kuster, Niels

2013-12-01

The evaluation of the exposure from mobile communication devices requires consideration of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) over a broad frequency range from dc to GHz. Mobile phones in operation have prominent spectral components in the low-frequency (LF) and radio-frequency (RF) ranges. While the exposure to RF fields from mobile phones has been comprehensively assessed in the past, the LF fields have received much less attention. In this study, LF fields from mobile phones are assessed experimentally and numerically for the global system for mobile (GSM) and universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) communication systems and conclusions about the global (LF and RF) EMF exposure from both systems are drawn. From the measurements of the time-domain magnetic fields, it was found that the contribution from the audio signal at a normal speech level, i.e., -16 dBm0, is the same order of magnitude as the fields induced by the current bursts generated from the implementation of the GSM communication system at maximum RF output level. The B-field induced by currents in phones using the UMTS is two orders of magnitude lower than that induced by GSM. Knowing that the RF exposure from the UMTS is also two orders of magnitude lower than from GSM, it is now possible to state that there is an overall reduction of the exposure from this communication system.

The highs and lows of object impossibility: effects of spatial frequency on holistic processing of impossible objects.

Science.gov (United States)

Freud, Erez; Avidan, Galia; Ganel, Tzvi

2015-02-01

Holistic processing, the decoding of a stimulus as a unified whole, is a basic characteristic of object perception. Recent research using Garner's speeded classification task has shown that this processing style is utilized even for impossible objects that contain an inherent spatial ambiguity. In particular, similar Garner interference effects were found for possible and impossible objects, indicating similar holistic processing styles for the two object categories. In the present study, we further investigated the perceptual mechanisms that mediate such holistic representation of impossible objects. We relied on the notion that, whereas information embedded in the high-spatial-frequency (HSF) content supports fine-detailed processing of object features, the information conveyed by low spatial frequencies (LSF) is more crucial for the emergence of a holistic shape representation. To test the effects of image frequency on the holistic processing of impossible objects, participants performed the Garner speeded classification task on images of possible and impossible cubes filtered for their LSF and HSF information. For images containing only LSF, similar interference effects were observed for possible and impossible objects, indicating that the two object categories were processed in a holistic manner. In contrast, for the HSF images, Garner interference was obtained only for possible, but not for impossible objects. Importantly, we provided evidence to show that this effect could not be attributed to a lack of sensitivity to object possibility in the LSF images. Particularly, even for full-spectrum images, Garner interference was still observed for both possible and impossible objects. Additionally, performance in an object classification task revealed high sensitivity to object possibility, even for LSF images. Taken together, these findings suggest that the visual system can tolerate the spatial ambiguity typical to impossible objects by relying on information

Flextensional fiber Bragg grating-based accelerometer for low frequency vibration measurement

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Jinghua Zhang; Xueguang Qiao; Manli Hu; Zhongyao Feng; Hong Gao; Yang Yang; Rui Zhou

2011-01-01

@@ The intelligent structural health monitoring method,which uses a fiber Bragg grating(FBG)sensor,is a new approach in the field of civil engineering.However,it lacks a reliable FBG-based accelerometer for taking structural low frequency vibration measurements.In this letter,a flextensional FBG-based accelerometer is proposed and demonstrated.The experimental results indicate that the natural frequency of the developed accelerometer is 16.7 Hz,with a high sensitivity of 410.7 pm/g.In addition,it has a broad and flat response over low frequencies ranging from 1 to 10 Hz.The natural frequency and sensitivity of the accelerometer can be tuned by adding mass to tailor the sensor performance to specific applications.Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the good performance of the proposed FBG-based accelerometer.These results show that the proposed accelerometer is satisfactory for low frequency vibration measurements.%The intelligent structural health monitoring method, which uses a fiber Bragg grating {FBG} sensor, ie a new approach in the field of civil engineering. However, it lacks a reliable FBG-based accelerometer for taking structural low frequency vibration measurements. In this letter, a flextensional FBG-based accelerometer is proposed and demonstrated. The experimental results indicate that the natural frequency of the developed accelerometer is 16.7 Hz, with a high sensitivity of 410.7 pm/g. In addition, it has a broad and flat response over low frequencies ranging from 1 to 10 Hz. The natural frequency and sensitivity of the accelerometer can be tuned by adding mass to tailor the sensor performance to specific applications. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the good performance of the proposed FBG-based accelerometer. These results show that the proposed accelerometer is satisfactory for low frequency vibration measurements.

Low-frequency characteristics extension for vibration sensors

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

杨学山; 高峰; 候兴民

2004-01-01

Traditional magneto-electric vibration sensors and servo accelerometers have severe shortcomings when used to measure vibration where low frequency components predominate. A low frequency characteristic extension for velocity vibration sensors is presented in this paper. The passive circuit technology, active compensation technology and the closedcycle pole compensation technology are used to extend the measurable range and to improve low frequency characteristics of sensors. Thses three types of low frequency velocity vibration sensors have been developed and widely adopted in China.

Sensitivity to Regional Earthquake Triggering and Magnitude-Frequency Characteristics of Microseismicity Detected via Matched-Filter Analysis, Central Southern Alps, New Zealand

Science.gov (United States)

Boese, C. M.; Townend, J.; Chamberlain, C. J.; Warren-Smith, E.

2016-12-01

Microseismicity recorded since 2008 by the Southern Alps Microseismicity Borehole Array (SAMBA) and other predominantly short-period seismic networks deployed in the central Southern Alps, New Zealand, reveals distinctive patterns of triggering in response to regional seismicity (magnitudes larger than 5, epicentral distances of 100-500 km). Using matched-filter detection methods implemented in the EQcorrscan package (Chamberlain et al., in prep.), we analyze microseismicity occurring in several geographically distinct swarms in order to examine the responses of specific microearthquake sources to earthquakes of different sizes occurring at different distances and azimuths. The swarms exhibit complex responses to regional seismicity which reveal that microearthquake triggering in these cases involves a combination of extrinsic factors (related to the dynamic stresses produced by the regional earthquake) and intrinsic factors (controlled by the local state of stress and possibly by hydrogeological processes). We find also that the microearthquakes detected by individual templates have Gutenberg-Richter magnitude-frequency characteristics. Since the detected events, by design, have very similar hypocentres and focal mechanisms, the observed scaling pertains to a restricted set of fault planes.

Low-Frequency Waves in HF Heating of the Ionosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, A. S.; Eliasson, B.; Milikh, G. M.; Najmi, A.; Papadopoulos, K.; Shao, X.; Vartanyan, A.

2016-02-01

Ionospheric heating experiments have enabled an exploration of the ionosphere as a large-scale natural laboratory for the study of many plasma processes. These experiments inject high-frequency (HF) radio waves using high-power transmitters and an array of ground- and space-based diagnostics. This chapter discusses the excitation and propagation of low-frequency waves in HF heating of the ionosphere. The theoretical aspects and the associated models and simulations, and the results from experiments, mostly from the HAARP facility, are presented together to provide a comprehensive interpretation of the relevant plasma processes. The chapter presents the plasma model of the ionosphere for describing the physical processes during HF heating, the numerical code, and the simulations of the excitation of low-frequency waves by HF heating. It then gives the simulations of the high-latitude ionosphere and mid-latitude ionosphere. The chapter also briefly discusses the role of kinetic processes associated with wave generation.

Thermally Stable Siloxane Hybrid Matrix with Low Dielectric Loss for Copper-Clad Laminates for High-Frequency Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yong Ho; Lim, Young-Woo; Kim, Yun Hyeok; Bae, Byeong-Soo

2016-04-06

We report vinyl-phenyl siloxane hybrid material (VPH) that can be used as a matrix for copper-clad laminates (CCLs) for high-frequency applications. The CCLs, with a VPH matrix fabricated via radical polymerization of resin blend consisting of sol-gel-derived linear vinyl oligosiloxane and bulky siloxane monomer, phenyltris(trimethylsiloxy)silane, achieve low dielectric constant (Dk) and dissipation factor (Df). The CCLs with the VPH matrix exhibit excellent dielectric performance (Dk = 2.75, Df = 0.0015 at 1 GHz) with stability in wide frequency range (1 MHz to 10 GHz) and at high temperature (up to 275 °C). Also, the VPH shows good flame resistance without any additives. These results suggest the potential of the VPH for use in high-speed IC boards.

Source Mechanisms of Low Frequency Seismicity in a Hydraulic Fracturing Context

Science.gov (United States)

Zecevic, M.; Daniel, G.; Hubans, F.; Gouedard, P.

2014-12-01

In recent years, long-period long-duration (LPLD) events have been observed during hydraulic fracturing of hydrocarbon reservoirs (Das & Zoback, 2013). LPLDs are low-amplitude signals lasting from tens of seconds to minutes. Their source mechanisms are not fully understood. However, as they are remarkably similar in character to tectonic tremors it has been suggested that they may also have comparable source models. Current models suggest that a tectonic tremor consists of numerous slow-slip earthquakes superposed on each other to form continuous waveforms (Shelley et al., 2007). These slow-slip earthquakes are thought to be a result of shear slip on faults close to failure with low confining pressure, most likely due to the presence of fluid with pore pressures close to lithostatic pressures (Peng & Gomberg, 2010). This study aims to further understand the source mechanism of LPLDs. A hydraulic fracturing dataset containing thousands of located microseismic earthquakes (MEQs) and numerous LPLDs is presented. The MEQs are located around the injection stages whereas the LPLDs are clustered in a limited region within the reservoir. This clustering suggests that LPLDs can only be generated where the conditions in the reservoir are favorable. These results correspond with the possibility that LPLDs are manifestations of slow-slip, with the source locations confined by variations in the mechanical properties of the reservoir. To test this hypothesis a further understanding of the mechanisms of LPLDs and the stress field in which they occur is needed. However, calculating focal mechanisms for LPLDs is difficult due to their emergent onset and lack of clear phases. Consequently, LPLDs must be put into context with the observed MEQs. We will present the spatial distribution of the focal mechanisms of the MEQs and analyze our findings with respect to the occurrence of the LPLD events.

High-frequency autonomic modulation: a new model for analysis of autonomic cardiac control.

Science.gov (United States)

Champéroux, Pascal; Fesler, Pierre; Judé, Sebastien; Richard, Serge; Le Guennec, Jean-Yves; Thireau, Jérôme

2018-05-03

Increase in high-frequency beat-to-beat heart rate oscillations by torsadogenic hERG blockers appears to be associated with signs of parasympathetic and sympathetic co-activation which cannot be assessed directly using classic methods of heart rate variability analysis. The present work aimed to find a translational model that would allow this particular state of the autonomic control of heart rate to be assessed. High-frequency heart rate and heart period oscillations were analysed within discrete 10 s intervals in a cohort of 200 healthy human subjects. Results were compared to data collected in non-human primates and beagle dogs during pharmacological challenges and torsadogenic hERG blockers exposure, in 127 genotyped LQT1 patients on/off β-blocker treatment and in subgroups of smoking and non-smoking subjects. Three states of autonomic modulation, S1 (parasympathetic predominance) to S3 (reciprocal parasympathetic withdrawal/sympathetic activation), were differentiated to build a new model of heart rate variability referred to as high-frequency autonomic modulation. The S2 state corresponded to a specific state during which both parasympathetic and sympathetic systems were coexisting or co-activated. S2 oscillations were proportionally increased by torsadogenic hERG-blocking drugs, whereas smoking caused an increase in S3 oscillations. The combined analysis of the magnitude of high-frequency heart rate and high-frequency heart period oscillations allows a refined assessment of heart rate autonomic modulation applicable to long-term ECG recordings and offers new approaches to assessment of the risk of sudden death both in terms of underlying mechanisms and sensitivity. © 2018 The Authors. British Journal of Pharmacology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Pharmacological Society.

Hydraulic Circuit of Mechanical Pruner Drive for Hops on Low Trellises

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hoffmann David

2015-09-01

Full Text Available A mechanical pruner serves for pruning new hopvine shoots in spring. The later yield depends on the right timing and quality of pruning. That is why hop pruning is one of the most important agrotechnical procedures. A double-disc mechanical pruner used on high trellises cannot be used on low trellises due to its large size. Abroad, for pruning hops on low trellises a specially adapted sprinkler is used (chemical pruning. With regard to the effort to minimize the chemical environmental burden, we opted for the design of the mechanical pruner. Firstly, the low trellis, mechanical pruner, and also elements used in the design of hydraulic circuit are described. Next part of the paper is devoted to the input requirements for both the hydraulic circuit and the mechanical pruner designs. Then a description of an adapted inter-axle carrier used for the experimental model of the hop mechanical pruner and of the effected field measurement follows, along with interpretation of the measured data. These data are depicted in clearly arranged graphs showing the dependency of pressure and hydraulic oil flow on the cutting disc rotational frequency.

Defectoscopy of direct laser sintered metals by low transmission ultrasonic frequencies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ebersold Zoran

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on the improvement of ultrasonic defectoscopy used for machine elements produced by direct laser metal sintering. The direct laser metal sintering process introduces the mixed metal powder and performs its subsequent laser consolidation in a single production step. Mechanical elements manufactured by laser sintering often contain many hollow cells due to weight reduction. The popular pulse echo defectoscopy method employing very high frequencies of several GHz is not successful on these samples. The aim of this paper is to present quadraphonic transmission ultrasound defectoscopy which uses low range frequencies of few tens of kHz. Therefore, the advantage of this method is that it enables defectoscopy for honeycombed materials manufactured by direct laser sintering. This paper presents the results of testing performed on AlSi12 sample. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. OI 172057

Determination of focal mechanisms of intermediate-magnitude earthquakes in Mexico, based on Greens functions calculated for a 3D Earth model

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigo Rodríguez Cardozo, Félix; Hjörleifsdóttir, Vala

2015-04-01

One important ingredient in the study of the complex active tectonics in Mexico is the analysis of earthquake focal mechanisms, or the seismic moment tensor. They can be determined trough the calculation of Green functions and subsequent inversion for moment-tensor parameters. However, this calculation is gets progressively more difficult as the magnitude of the earthquakes decreases. Large earthquakes excite waves of longer periods that interact weakly with laterally heterogeneities in the crust. For these earthquakes, using 1D velocity models to compute the Greens fucntions works well. The opposite occurs for smaller and intermediate sized events, where the relatively shorter periods excited interact strongly with lateral heterogeneities in the crust and upper mantle and requires more specific or regional 3D models. In this study, we calculate Greens functions for earthquakes in Mexico using a laterally heterogeneous seismic wave speed model, comprised of mantle model S362ANI (Kustowski et al 2008) and crustal model CRUST 2.0 (Bassin et al 1990). Subsequently, we invert the observed seismograms for the seismic moment tensor using a method developed by Liu et al (2004) an implemented by Óscar de La Vega (2014) for earthquakes in Mexico. By following a brute force approach, in which we include all observed Rayleigh and Love waves of the Mexican National Seismic Network (Servicio Sismológico Naciona, SSN), we obtain reliable focal mechanisms for events that excite a considerable amount of low frequency waves (Mw > 4.8). However, we are not able to consistently estimate focal mechanisms for smaller events using this method, due to high noise levels in many of the records. Excluding the noisy records, or noisy parts of the records manually, requires interactive edition of the data, using an efficient tool for the editing. Therefore, we developed a graphical user interface (GUI), based on python and the python library ObsPy, that allows the edition of observed and

Clamped seismic metamaterials: ultra-low frequency stop bands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Achaoui, Y; Enoch, S; Guenneau, S; Antonakakis, T; Brûlé, S; Craster, R V

2017-01-01

The regularity of earthquakes, their destructive power, and the nuisance of ground vibration in urban environments, all motivate designs of defence structures to lessen the impact of seismic and ground vibration waves on buildings. Low frequency waves, in the range 1–10 Hz for earthquakes and up to a few tens of Hz for vibrations generated by human activities, cause a large amount of damage, or inconvenience; depending on the geological conditions they can travel considerable distances and may match the resonant fundamental frequency of buildings. The ultimate aim of any seismic metamaterial, or any other seismic shield, is to protect over this entire range of frequencies; the long wavelengths involved, and low frequency, have meant this has been unachievable to date. Notably this is scalable and the effects also hold for smaller devices in ultrasonics. There are three approaches to obtaining shielding effects: bragg scattering, locally resonant sub-wavelength inclusions and zero-frequency stop-band media. The former two have been explored, but the latter has not and is examined here. Elastic flexural waves, applicable in the mechanical vibrations of thin elastic plates, can be designed to have a broad zero-frequency stop-band using a periodic array of very small clamped circles. Inspired by this experimental and theoretical observation, all be it in a situation far removed from seismic waves, we demonstrate that it is possible to achieve elastic surface (Rayleigh) wave reflectors at very large wavelengths in structured soils modelled as a fully elastic layer periodically clamped to bedrock. We identify zero frequency stop-bands that only exist in the limit of columns of concrete clamped at their base to the bedrock. In a realistic configuration of a sedimentary basin 15 m deep we observe a zero frequency stop-band covering a broad frequency range of 0–30 Hz. (paper)

Cluster observations of high-frequency waves in the exterior cusp

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Khotyaintsev

2004-07-01

Full Text Available We study wave emissions, in the frequency range from above the lower hybrid frequency up to the plasma frequency, observed during one of the Cluster crossings of a high-beta exterior cusp region on 4 March 2003. Waves are localized near narrow current sheets with a thickness a few times the ion inertial length; currents are strong, of the order of 0.1-0.5μA/m² (0.1-0.5mA/m² when mapped to ionosphere. The high frequency part of the waves, frequencies above the electron-cyclotron frequency, is analyzed in more detail. These high frequency waves can be broad-band, can have spectral peaks at the plasma frequency or spectral peaks at frequencies below the plasma frequency. The strongest wave emissions usually have a spectral peak near the plasma frequency. The wave emission intensity and spectral character change on a very short time scale, of the order of 1s. The wave emissions with strong spectral peaks near the plasma frequency are usually seen on the edges of the narrow current sheets. The most probable generation mechanism of high frequency waves are electron beams via bump-on-tail or electron two-stream instability. Buneman and ion-acoustic instability can be excluded as a possible generation mechanism of waves. We suggest that high frequency waves are generated by electron beams propagating along the separatrices of the reconnection region.

Servo-controlled pneumatic pressure oscillator for respiratory impedance measurements and high-frequency ventilation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaczka, David W; Lutchen, Kenneth R

2004-04-01

The ability to provide forced oscillatory excitation of the respiratory system can be useful in mechanical impedance measurements as well as high frequency ventilation (HFV). Experimental systems currently used for generating forced oscillations are limited in their ability to provide high amplitude flows or maintain the respiratory system at a constant mean pressure during excitation. This paper presents the design and implementation of a pneumatic pressure oscillator based on a proportional solenoid valve. The device is capable of providing forced oscillatory excitations to the respiratory system over a bandwidth suitable for mechanical impedance measurements and HVF. It delivers high amplitude flows (> 1.4 l/s) and utilizes a servo-control mechanism to maintain a load at a fixed mean pressure during simultaneous oscillation. Under open-loop conditions, the device exhibited a static hysteresis of approximately 7%, while its dynamic magnitude and phase responses were flat out to 10 Hz. Broad-band measurement of total harmonic distortion was approximately 19%. Under closed-loop conditions, the oscillator was able to maintain a mechanical test load at both positive and negative mean pressures during oscillatory excitations from 0.1 to 10.0 Hz. Impedance of the test load agreed closely with theoretical predictions. We conclude that this servo-controlled oscillator can be a useful tool for respiratory impedance measurements as well as HFV.

Financial system loss as an example of high consequence, high frequency events

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McGovern, D.E.

1996-07-01

Much work has been devoted to high consequence events with low frequency of occurrence. Characteristic of these events are bridge failure (such as that of the Tacoma Narrows), building failure (such as the collapse of a walkway at a Kansas City hotel), or compromise of a major chemical containment system (such as at Bhopal, India). Such events, although rare, have an extreme personal, societal, and financial impact. An interesting variation is demonstrated by financial losses due to fraud and abuse in the money management system. The impact can be huge, entailing very high aggregate costs, but these are a result of the contribution of many small attacks and not the result of a single (or few) massive events. Public awareness is raised through publicized events such as the junk bond fraud perpetrated by Milikin or gross mismanagement in the failure of the Barings Bank through unsupervised trading activities by Leeson in Singapore. These event,s although seemingly large (financial losses may be on the order of several billion dollars), are but small contributors to the estimated $114 billion loss to all types of financial fraud in 1993. This paper explores the magnitude of financial system losses and identifies new areas for analysis of high consequence events including the potential effect of malevolent intent.

Tay-Sachs disease: high gene frequency in a non-Jewish population.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, T E; Chase, G A; Kaback, M M; Kumor, K; McKusick, V A

1975-01-01

A non-Amish "Pennsylvania Dutch" semi-isolate was found to have a high frequency of Tay-Sachs gene. This high frequency could be ascribed to founder effect and may represent, in microcosm, how this mechanism could have produced the high gene frequency among Ashkenazi Jews. PMID:803011

Low-frequency fluctuation in multimode semiconductor laser subject to optical feedback

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Xu Zhang; Huiying Ye; Zhaoxin Song

2008-01-01

Dynamics of a semiconductor laser subject to moderate optical feedback operating in the low-frequency fluctuation regime is numerically investigated.Multimode Lang-Kobayashi(LK)equations show that the low-frequency intensity dropout including the total intensity and sub-modes intensity is accompanied by sudden dropout simultaneously,which is in good agreement with experimental observation.The power fluctuation is quite annoying in practical applications,therefore it becomes important to study the mechanism of power fluctuation.It is also shown that many factors,such as spontaneous emission noise and feedback parameter,may influence power fluctuation larger than previously expected.

Frequency-Dependent Tidal Triggering of Low Frequency Earthquakes Near Parkfield, California

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, L.; Burgmann, R.; Shelly, D. R.

2017-12-01

The effect of small periodic stress perturbations on earthquake generation is not clear, however, the rate of low-frequency earthquakes (LFEs) near Parkfield, California has been found to be strongly correlated with solid earth tides. Laboratory experiments and theoretical analyses show that the period of imposed forcing and source properties affect the sensitivity to triggering and the phase relation of the peak seismicity rate and the periodic stress, but frequency-dependent triggering has not been quantitatively explored in the field. Tidal forcing acts over a wide range of frequencies, therefore the sensitivity to tidal triggering of LFEs provides a good probe to the physical mechanisms affecting earthquake generation. In this study, we consider the tidal triggering of LFEs near Parkfield, California since 2001. We find the LFEs rate is correlated with tidal shear stress, normal stress rate and shear stress rate. The occurrence of LFEs can also be independently modulated by groups of tidal constituents at semi-diurnal, diurnal and fortnightly frequencies. The strength of the response of LFEs to the different tidal constituents varies between LFE families. Each LFE family has an optimal triggering frequency, which does not appear to be depth dependent or systematically related to other known properties. This suggests the period of the applied forcing plays an important role in the triggering process, and the interaction of periods of loading history and source region properties, such as friction, effective normal stress and pore fluid pressure, produces the observed frequency-dependent tidal triggering of LFEs.

Low-energy mechanical ventilation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Claus Wessel; Hviid, Christian Anker

2014-01-01

and with as little energy consumption as 41.1 kWh/m2/year including heating and all building services with no use of renewable energy such as PVcells or solar heating. One of the key means of reaching the objectives was to implement mechanical ventilation with low pressure loss and therefore low energy consumption....... The project consists of two buildings, building one is 6 stories high, and building two is 4 stories high. The buildings have a gross area of 50,500 m2 including underground parking. The ventilation and indoor climate concept was to use mechanical ventilation together with mechanical cooling and fanassisted......, with an average of 1.1 kJ/m3. The yearly mean SFP based on estimated runtime is approx. 0.8 kJ/m3. The case shows the unlocked potential that lies within mechanical ventilation for nearzero energy consuming buildings....

Low-frequency 1/f noise in graphene devices

Science.gov (United States)

Balandin, Alexander A.

2013-08-01

Low-frequency noise with a spectral density that depends inversely on frequency has been observed in a wide variety of systems including current fluctuations in resistors, intensity fluctuations in music and signals in human cognition. In electronics, the phenomenon, which is known as 1/f noise, flicker noise or excess noise, hampers the operation of numerous devices and circuits, and can be a significant impediment to the development of practical applications from new materials. Graphene offers unique opportunities for studying 1/f noise because of its two-dimensional structure and widely tunable two-dimensional carrier concentration. The creation of practical graphene-based devices will also depend on our ability to understand and control the low-frequency noise in this material system. Here, the characteristic features of 1/f noise in graphene and few-layer graphene are reviewed, and the implications of such noise for the development of graphene-based electronics including high-frequency devices and sensors are examined.

Development of a procedure to model high-resolution wind profiles from smoothed or low-frequency data

Science.gov (United States)

Camp, D. W.

1977-01-01

The derivation of simulated Jimsphere wind profiles from low-frequency rawinsonde data and a generated set of white noise data are presented. A computer program is developed to model high-resolution wind profiles based on the statistical properties of data from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Comparison of the measured Jimsphere data, rawinsonde data, and the simulated profiles shows excellent agreement.

Low-field MRI can be more sensitive than high-field MRI

Science.gov (United States)

Coffey, Aaron M.; Truong, Milton L.; Chekmenev, Eduard Y.

2013-12-01

MRI signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is the key factor for image quality. Conventionally, SNR is proportional to nuclear spin polarization, which scales linearly with magnetic field strength. Yet ever-stronger magnets present numerous technical and financial limitations. Low-field MRI can mitigate these constraints with equivalent SNR from non-equilibrium ‘hyperpolarization' schemes, which increase polarization by orders of magnitude independently of the magnetic field. Here, theory and experimental validation demonstrate that combination of field independent polarization (e.g. hyperpolarization) with frequency optimized MRI detection coils (i.e. multi-turn coils using the maximum allowed conductor length) results in low-field MRI sensitivity approaching and even rivaling that of high-field MRI. Four read-out frequencies were tested using samples with identical numbers of 1H and 13C spins. Experimental SNRs at 0.0475 T were ∼40% of those obtained at 4.7 T. Conservatively, theoretical SNRs at 0.0475 T 1.13-fold higher than those at 4.7 T were possible despite an ∼100-fold lower detection frequency, indicating feasibility of high-sensitivity MRI without technically challenging, expensive high-field magnets. The data at 4.7 T and 0.0475 T was obtained from different spectrometers with different RF probes. The SNR comparison between the two field strengths accounted for many differences in parameters such as system noise figures and variations in the probe detection coils including Q factors and coil diameters.

High frequency, high amplitude and low energy earthquake study of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernero, R.M.; Lee, A.J.H.; Sobel, P.A.

1988-01-01

Nuclear power plants are designed for a seismic input spectrum based on U.S. acceleration time histories. However, data recorded near several earthquakes, mostly in the Eastern U.S., are richer in high frequency energy. This paper focuses on the evaluation of one of these events, i.e., the 1986 Ohio earthquake approximately 10 miles from the Perry nuclear power plant. The Perry Seismic Category I structures were reanalyzed using the in-structure recorded earthquake motions. The calculated in-structure response spectra and recorded response spectra have the same general trends, which shows the buildings are capable of responding to high frequency earthquake motion. Dynamic stresses calculated using the Ohio earthquake recorded motions are substantially lower than the design stresses. The seismic qualification of a wide sample of equipment was reassessed using the Ohio earthquake recorded motions and the margins were found to be larger than one. The 1986 Ohio earthquake was also shown to possess much lower energy content and ductility demand than the design spectra. For the Perry case, the seismic design was shown to have adequate safety margins to accommodate the 1986 Ohio earthquake, even though the design spectra were exceeded at about 20 Hz. The NRC is evaluating the need to generically modify design spectra in light of the recent high frequency recordings. (orig.)

Binder-free highly conductive graphene laminate for low cost printed radio frequency applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Xianjun; Leng, Ting; Zhang, Xiao; Hu, Zhirun, E-mail: Z.Hu@manchester.ac.uk [School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester (United Kingdom); Chen, Jia Cing; Chang, Kuo Hsin [BGT Materials Limited, Photon Science Institute, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom); Geim, Andre K. [Manchester Centre for Mesoscience and Nanotechnology, University of Manchester, Manchester (United Kingdom); Novoselov, Kostya S. [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester (United Kingdom)

2015-05-18

In this paper, we demonstrate realization of printable radio frequency identification (RFID) antenna by low temperature processing of graphene ink. The required ultra-low resistance is achieved by rolling compression of binder-free graphene laminate. With compression, the conductivity of graphene laminate is increased by more than 50 times compared to that of as-deposited one. Graphene laminate with conductivity of 4.3 × 10{sup 4 }S/m and sheet resistance of 3.8 Ω/sq (with thickness of 6 μm) is presented. Moreover, the formation of graphene laminate from graphene ink reported here is simple and can be carried out in low temperature (100 °C), significantly reducing the fabrication costs. A dipole antenna based on the highly conductive graphene laminate is further patterned and printed on a normal paper to investigate its RF properties. The performance of the graphene laminate antenna is experimentally measured. The measurement results reveal that graphene laminate antenna can provide practically acceptable return loss, gain, bandwidth, and radiation patterns, making it ideal for low cost printed RF applications, such as RFID tags and wearable wireless sensor networks.

Binder-free highly conductive graphene laminate for low cost printed radio frequency applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Xianjun; Leng, Ting; Zhang, Xiao; Hu, Zhirun; Chen, Jia Cing; Chang, Kuo Hsin; Geim, Andre K.; Novoselov, Kostya S.

2015-01-01

In this paper, we demonstrate realization of printable radio frequency identification (RFID) antenna by low temperature processing of graphene ink. The required ultra-low resistance is achieved by rolling compression of binder-free graphene laminate. With compression, the conductivity of graphene laminate is increased by more than 50 times compared to that of as-deposited one. Graphene laminate with conductivity of 4.3 × 10 4  S/m and sheet resistance of 3.8 Ω/sq (with thickness of 6 μm) is presented. Moreover, the formation of graphene laminate from graphene ink reported here is simple and can be carried out in low temperature (100 °C), significantly reducing the fabrication costs. A dipole antenna based on the highly conductive graphene laminate is further patterned and printed on a normal paper to investigate its RF properties. The performance of the graphene laminate antenna is experimentally measured. The measurement results reveal that graphene laminate antenna can provide practically acceptable return loss, gain, bandwidth, and radiation patterns, making it ideal for low cost printed RF applications, such as RFID tags and wearable wireless sensor networks

The strange physics of low frequency mirror mode turbulence in the high temperature plasma of the magnetosheath

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. A. Treumann

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Mirror mode turbulence is the lowest frequency perpendicular magnetic excitation in magnetized plasma proposed already about half a century ago by Rudakov and Sagdeev (1958 and Chandrasekhar et al. (1958 from fluid theory. Its experimental verification required a relatively long time. It was early recognized that mirror modes for being excited require a transverse pressure (or temperature anisotropy. In principle mirror modes are some version of slow mode waves. Fluid theory, however, does not give a correct physical picture of the mirror mode. The linear infinitesimally small amplitude physics is described correctly only by including the full kinetic theory and is modified by existing spatial gradients of the plasma parameters which attribute a small finite frequency to the mode. In addition, the mode is propagating only very slowly in plasma such that convective transport is the main cause of flow in it. As the lowest frequency mode it can be expected that mirror modes serve as one of the dominant energy inputs into plasma. This is however true only when the mode grows to large amplitude leaving the linear stage. At such low frequencies, on the other hand, quasilinear theory does not apply as a valid saturation mechanism. Probably the dominant processes are related to the generation of gradients in the plasma which serve as the cause of drift modes thus transferring energy to shorter wavelength propagating waves of higher nonzero frequency. This kind of theory has not yet been developed as it has not yet been understood why mirror modes in spite of their slow growth rate usually are of very large amplitudes indeed of the order of |B/B0|2~O(1. It is thus highly reasonable to assume that mirror modes are instrumental for the development of stationary turbulence in high temperature plasma. Moreover, since the magnetic field in mirror turbulence forms extended though slightly oblique magnetic bottles, low parallel energy particles can be trapped

The effect of high mesencephalic transection (cerveau isolé) and pentobarbital on basal forebrain mechanisms of EEG synchronization.

Science.gov (United States)

Obál, F; Benedek, G; Szikszay, M; Obál, F

1979-01-01

A study was made of the effects of high mesencephalic transection (cerveau isolé) and low doses of pentobarbital on the cortical synchronizations elicited in acute immobilized cats by (a) low frequency stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus (HL) and nucleus ventralis anterior thalami (VA) and (b) by low and high frequency stimulation of the laterobasal preoptic region (RPO) and olfactory tubercle (TbOf). The results obtained were as follows: (1) The synchronizations induced by basal forebrain stimulations were found to survive in acute cerveau isolé cats, moreover, even a facilitation of the synchronizing effect were observed. (2) A gradual facilitation was observed upon TbOf and RPO stimulation, while in the case of VA and HL stimulations, the facilitation appeared immediately after the transection. (3) Low doses of pentobarbital depressed the cortical effects of TbOf stimulation, while an increase of the synchronizing effect of low frequency VA and HL stimulation was found. The observations suggested that (i) the synchronizing mechanism in the ventral part of the basal forebrain (RPO and TbOf) differs from that of the thalamus and HL; (ii) the basal forebrain synchronizing mechanism is effective without the contribution of the brain stem; (iii) the mechanism responsible for the synchronizing effect of low frequency HL stimulation is similar as that described for the thalamus.

Stamp transferred suspended graphene mechanical resonators for radio frequency electrical readout.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Xuefeng; Oksanen, Mika; Sillanpää, Mika A; Craighead, H G; Parpia, J M; Hakonen, Pertti J

2012-01-11

We present a simple micromanipulation technique to transfer suspended graphene flakes onto any substrate and to assemble them with small localized gates into mechanical resonators. The mechanical motion of the graphene is detected using an electrical, radio frequency (RF) reflection readout scheme where the time-varying graphene capacitor reflects a RF carrier at f = 5-6 GHz producing modulation sidebands at f ± f(m). A mechanical resonance frequency up to f(m) = 178 MHz is demonstrated. We find both hardening/softening Duffing effects on different samples and obtain a critical amplitude of ~40 pm for the onset of nonlinearity in graphene mechanical resonators. Measurements of the quality factor of the mechanical resonance as a function of dc bias voltage V(dc) indicates that dissipation due to motion-induced displacement currents in graphene electrode is important at high frequencies and large V(dc). © 2011 American Chemical Society

High Frequency Traders and Market Structure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Menkveld, A.J.

2014-01-01

The arrival of high-frequency traders (HFTs) coincided with the entry of new markets and, subsequently, strong fragmentation of the order flow. These trends might be related as new markets serve HFTs who seek low fees and high speed. New markets only thrive on competitive price quotes that

Topology optimization and fabrication of low frequency vibration energy harvesting microdevices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng, Jiadong; Rorschach, Katherine; Baker, Evan; Sun, Cheng; Chen, Wei

2015-01-01

Topological design of miniaturized resonating structures capable of harvesting electrical energy from low frequency environmental mechanical vibrations encounters a particular physical challenge, due to the conflicting design requirements: low resonating frequency and miniaturization. In this paper structural static stiffness to resist undesired lateral deformation is included into the objective function, to prevent the structure from degenerating and forcing the solution to be manufacturable. The rational approximation of material properties interpolation scheme is introduced to deal with the problems of local vibration and instability of the low density area induced by the design dependent body forces. Both density and level set based topology optimization (TO) methods are investigated in their parameterization, sensitivity analysis, and applicability for low frequency energy harvester TO problems. Continuum based variation formulations for sensitivity analysis and the material derivative based shape sensitivity analysis are presented for the density method and the level set method, respectively; and their similarities and differences are highlighted. An external damper is introduced to simulate the energy output of the resonator due to electrical damping and the Rayleigh proportional damping is used for mechanical damping. Optimization results for different scenarios are tested to illustrate the influences of dynamic and static loads. To demonstrate manufacturability, the designs are built to scale using a 3D microfabrication method and assembled into vibration energy harvester prototypes. The fabricated devices based on the optimal results from using different TO techniques are tested and compared with the simulation results. The structures obtained by the level set based TO method require less post-processing before fabrication and the structures obtained by the density based TO method have resonating frequency as low as 100 Hz. The electrical voltage response

Active Low-frequency Vertical Vibration Isolation System for Precision Measurements

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

WU Kang; LI Gang; HU Hua; WANG Lijun

2017-01-01

Low-frequency vertical vibration isolation systems play important roles in precision measurements to reduce seismic and environmental vibration noise.Several types of active vibration isolation systems have been developed.However,few researches focus on how to optimize the test mass install position in order to improve the vibration transmissibility.An active low-frequency vertical vibration isolation system based on an earlier instrument,the Super Spring,is designed and implemented.The system,which is simple and compact,consists of two stages:a parallelogram-shaped linkage to ensure vertical motion,and a simple spring-mass system.The theoretical analysis of the vibration isolation system is presented,including terms erroneously ignored before.By carefully choosing the mechanical parameters according to the above analysis and using feedback control,the resonance frequency of the system is reduced from 2.3 to 0.03 Hz,a reduction by a factor of more than 75.The vibration isolation system is installed as an inertial reference in an absolute gravimeter,where it improved the scatter of the absolute gravity values by a factor of 5.The experimental results verifies the improved performance of the isolation system,making it particularly suitable for precision experiments.The improved vertical vibration isolation system can be used as a prototype for designing high-performance active vertical isolation systems.An improved theoretical model of this active vibration isolation system with beam-pivot configuration is proposed,providing fundamental guidelines for vibration isolator design and assembling.

Low-frequency Periodic Error Identification and Compensation for Star Tracker Attitude Measurement

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

WANG Jiongqi; XIONG Kai; ZHOU Haiyin

2012-01-01

The low-frequency periodic error of star tracker is one of the most critical problems for high-accuracy satellite attitude determination.In this paper an approach is proposed to identify and compensate the low-frequency periodic error for star tracker in attitude measurement.The analytical expression between the estimated gyro drift and the low-frequency periodic error of star tracker is derived firstly.And then the low-frequency periodic error,which can be expressed by Fourier series,is identified by the frequency spectrum of the estimated gyro drift according to the solution of the first step.Furthermore,the compensated model of the low-frequency periodic error is established based on the identified parameters to improve the attitude determination accuracy.Finally,promising simulated experimental results demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of the proposed method.The periodic error for attitude determination is eliminated basically and the estimation precision is improved greatly.

Status of the low frequency facility experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bracci, L; Calamai, G; Cuoco, E; Dominici, P; Fabbroni, L; Guidi, G; Losurdo, G; Martelli, F; Mazzoni, M; Stanga, R; Vetrano, F; Porzio, A; Ricciardi, I; Solimeno, S; Ballardin, G; Braccini, S; Bradaschia, C; Casciano, C; Cavalieri, R; Cecchi, R; Cella, G; Dattilo, V; Virgilio, A Di; Fazzi, M; Ferrante, I; Fidecaro, F; Frasconi, F; Gennaro, G; Giazotto, A; Holloway, L; Penna, P La; Lomtadze, T; Nenci, F; Nicolosi, L; Lelli, F; Paoletti, F; Pasqualetti, A; Passaquieti, R; Passuello, D; Poggiani, R; Raffaelli, F; Taddei, R; Vicere, A; Zhang, Z; Frasca, S; Majorana, E; Palomba, C; Perciballi, M; Puppo, P; Rapagnani, P; Ricci, F

2002-01-01

The low frequency facility is a VIRGO R and D experiment having the goal of performing a direct measurement of the thermal noise of the VIRGO suspensions by means of a two-mirror Fabry-Perot cavity suspended to the last stage of the attenuating chain. The present status of advancement of this experiment is reported: the apparatus, including mechanical and optical parts, has been completely built and put into operation. Vacuum facilities and the first control loops are active. First measurements on the suspended cavity are in progress

Status of the low frequency facility experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bracci, L [Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita di Firenze, Florence (Italy); Calamai, G [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sez Firenze/Urbino (Italy); Cuoco, E [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sez Firenze/Urbino (Italy); Dominici, P [Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita di Firenze, Firenze (Italy); Fabbroni, L [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sez Firenze/Urbino (Italy); Guidi, G [Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita di Urbino, Urbino (Italy); Losurdo, G [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sez Firenze/Urbino (Italy); Martelli, F [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sez Firenze/Urbino (Italy); Mazzoni, M [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sez Firenze/Urbino (Italy); Stanga, R [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sez Firenze/Urbino (Italy); Vetrano, F [Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita di Urbino, Urbino (Italy); Porzio, A [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sez Naples (Italy); Ricciardi, I [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sez Naples (Italy); Solimeno, S [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sez Naples (Italy); Ballardin, G [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sez Pisa (Italy); Braccini, S [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sez Pisa (Italy); Bradaschia, C [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sez Pisa (Italy); Casciano, C [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sez Pisa (Italy); Cavalieri, R [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sez Pisa (Italy); Cecchi, R [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sez Pisa (Italy); Cella, G [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sez Pisa (Italy); Dattilo, V [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sez Pisa (Italy); Virgilio, A Di [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sez Pisa (Italy); Fazzi, M [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sez Pisa (Italy); Ferrante, I [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sez Pisa (Italy); Fidecaro, F [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sez Pisa (Italy)] [and others

2002-04-07

The low frequency facility is a VIRGO R and D experiment having the goal of performing a direct measurement of the thermal noise of the VIRGO suspensions by means of a two-mirror Fabry-Perot cavity suspended to the last stage of the attenuating chain. The present status of advancement of this experiment is reported: the apparatus, including mechanical and optical parts, has been completely built and put into operation. Vacuum facilities and the first control loops are active. First measurements on the suspended cavity are in progress.

Simulation model for studying low frequency microinstabilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, W.W.; Okuda, H.

1976-03-01

A 2 1 / 2 dimensional, electrostatic particle code in a slab geometry has been developed to study low frequency oscillations such as drift wave and trapped particle instabilities in a nonuniform bounded plasma. A drift approximation for the electron transverse motion is made which eliminates the high frequency oscillations at the electron gyrofrequency and its multiples. It is, therefore, possible to study the nonlinear effects such as the anomalous transport of plasmas within a reasonable computing time using a real mass ratio. Several examples are given to check the validity and usefulness of the model

Characteristics of low-frequency components of the near-bottom current in the Chinese Pioneer Area

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

LIANG Chujin; HOU Yijun; CHEN Qi; DONG Ruzhou; DONG Lixian

2004-01-01

Two deep-sea moorings were deployed respectively in the east area and the west area of Chinese Pioneer Area (CPA) in the tropic east Pacific to monitor the regional deep-sea dynamics below 600 meters above bottom (mab) from July 1997 to Oct. 1999. Results of statistics, spectral estimate and correlation analysis of the low-passed velocity data show that time scales of low-frequency components of the near-bottom currents are 25~120 days, in which 51-day period dominates the lower band of the frequency domain. Topographic features have obvious effect on low-frequency currents below 50 mab; modulations of the bottom-intensified sheared mean flow to the low-frequency currents are the dynamic mechanism of the frequency shift that occurs in both the east-area and the west-area.

Maturation of Mechanical Impedance of the Skin-Covered Skull: Implications for Soft Band Bone-Anchored Hearing Systems Fitted in Infants and Young Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Mackey, Allison R; Hodgetts, William E; Scott, Dylan; Small, Susan A

2016-01-01

Little is known about the maturational changes in the mechanical properties of the skull and how they might contribute to infant-adult differences in bone conduction hearing sensitivity. The objective of this study was to investigate the mechanical impedance of the skin-covered skull for different skull positions and contact forces for groups of infants, young children, and adults. These findings provide a better understanding of how changes in mechanical impedance might contribute to developmental changes in bone conduction hearing, and might provide insight into how fitting and output verification protocols for bone-anchored hearing systems (BAHS) could be adapted for infants and young children. Seventy-seven individuals participated in the study, including 63 infants and children (ages 1 month to 7 years) and 11 adults. Mechanical impedance magnitude for the forehead and temporal bone was collected for contact forces of 2, 4, and 5.4 N using an impedance head, a BAHS transducer, and a specially designed holding device. Mechanical impedance magnitude was determined across frequency using a stepped sine sweep from 100 to 10,000 Hz, and divided into low- and high-frequency sets for analysis. Mechanical impedance magnitude was lowest for the youngest infants and increased throughout maturation in the low frequencies. For high frequencies, the youngest infants had the highest impedance, but only for a temporal bone placement. Impedance increased with increasing contact force for low frequencies for each age group and for both skull positions. The effect of placement was significant for high frequencies for each contact force and for each age group, except for the youngest infants. Our findings show that mechanical impedance properties change systematically up to 7 years old. The significant age-related differences in mechanical impedance suggest that infant-adult differences in bone conduction thresholds may be related, at least in part, to properties of the

The effect of high-frequency ground motion on the MAPLE-X10 reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhan, S.; Dunbar, S.

1989-06-01

The effect of high-frequency ground motion on structures and equipment in nuclear reactors is examined by subjecting simple linear models to selected recorded ground motions which exhibit low and high frequencies. Computed damage measures indicate that high-frequency short-duration ground motion, such as that observed in eastern North America, have a minimal effect on structures with low natural frequencies. Response spectra of high-frequency ground motion indicate that higher forces are induced in structures with high natural frequencies as compared to those induced by low-frequency ground motion. However, reported observations of earthquake damage in eastern North America suggest that high-frequency ground motion causes little of no damage to structures. This may be due to the energy absorption capability of structures. It is concluded that the response spectrum representative of ground motion observed in eastern North America may give an over-conservative measure of the response of structures with high natural frequencies, since it does not account for the typically observed short duration of high-frequency ground motion and for the energy absorption capability of structures. Detailed nonlinear analysis of specific structures with high natural frequencies should be performed to better predict the actual response. Recommendations for a nonlinear analysis of typical structures with high natural frequencies are made

Modulated convection at high frequencies and large modulation amplitudes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swift, J.B.; Hohenberg, P.C.

1987-01-01

Modulated Rayleigh-Benard convection is analyzed for high frequencies and large modulation amplitudes. The linear theory of Gershuni and Zhukhovitskii is generalized to the nonlinear domain, and a subcritical bifurcation to convection is found in agreement with the experiments of Niemela and Donnelly. The crossover between the high-frequency (''Stokes layer'') regime and the low-frequency regime studied previously is analyzed

Stabilizing effects of hot electrons on low frequency plasma drift waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Chaosong; Qiu Lijian; Ren Zhaoxing

1988-01-01

The MHD equation is used to study the stabilization of low frequency drift waves driven by density gradient of plasma in a hot electron plasma. The dispersion relation is derived, and the stabilizing effects of hot electrons are discussed. The physical mechanism for hot electron stabilization of the low frequency plasma perturbations is charge uncovering due to the hot electron component, which depends only on α, the ratio of N h /N i , but not on the value of β h . The hot electrons can reduce the growth rate of the interchange mode and drift wave driven by the plasma, and suppress the enomalous plasma transport caused by the drift wave. Without including the effectof β h , the stabilization of the interchange mode requires α≅2%, and the stabilization of the drift wave requires α≅40%. The theoretical analyses predict that the drift wave is the most dangerous low frequency instability in the hot electron plasma

A kinetic-MHD model for low frequency phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, C.Z.

1991-07-01

A hybrid kinetic-MHD model for describing low-frequency phenomena in high beta anisotropic plasmas that consist of two components: a low energy core component and an energetic component with low density. The kinetic-MHD model treats the low energy core component by magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) description, the energetic component by kinetic approach such as the gyrokinetic equation, and the coupling between the dynamics of these two components through plasma pressure in the momentum equation. The kinetic-MHD model optimizes both the physics contents and the theoretical efforts in studying low frequency MHD waves and transport phenomena in general magnetic field geometries, and can be easily modified to include the core plasma kinetic effects if necessary. It is applicable to any magnetized collisionless plasma system where the parallel electric field effects are negligibly small. In the linearized limit two coupled eigenmode equations for describing the coupling between the transverse Alfven type and the compressional Alfven type waves are derived. The eigenmode equations are identical to those derived from the full gyrokinetic equation in the low frequency limit and were previously analyzed both analytically nd numerically to obtain the eigenmode structure of the drift mirror instability which explains successfully the multi-satellite observation of antisymmetric field-aligned structure of the compressional magnetic field of Pc 5 waves in the magnetospheric ring current plasma. Finally, a quadratic form is derived to demonstrate the stability of the low-frequency transverse and compressional Alfven type instabilities in terms of the pressure anisotropy parameter τ and the magnetic field curvature-pressure gradient parameter. A procedure for determining the stability of a marginally stable MHD wave due to wave-particle resonances is also presented

Methods for estimating flow-duration curve and low-flow frequency statistics for ungaged locations on small streams in Minnesota

Science.gov (United States)

Ziegeweid, Jeffrey R.; Lorenz, David L.; Sanocki, Chris A.; Czuba, Christiana R.

2015-12-24

Knowledge of the magnitude and frequency of low flows in streams, which are flows in a stream during prolonged dry weather, is fundamental for water-supply planning and design; waste-load allocation; reservoir storage design; and maintenance of water quality and quantity for irrigation, recreation, and wildlife conservation. This report presents the results of a statewide study for which regional regression equations were developed for estimating 13 flow-duration curve statistics and 10 low-flow frequency statistics at ungaged stream locations in Minnesota. The 13 flow-duration curve statistics estimated by regression equations include the 0.0001, 0.001, 0.02, 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 0.9, 0.95, 0.99, 0.999, and 0.9999 exceedance-probability quantiles. The low-flow frequency statistics include annual and seasonal (spring, summer, fall, winter) 7-day mean low flows, seasonal 30-day mean low flows, and summer 122-day mean low flows for a recurrence interval of 10 years. Estimates of the 13 flow-duration curve statistics and the 10 low-flow frequency statistics are provided for 196 U.S. Geological Survey continuous-record streamgages using streamflow data collected through September 30, 2012.